ment and affection to his majefty, I am under the neceffity of imputing this mark of the king's difpleasure to his minifters, on account of a vote I gave as a free man, upon a public question. I have the honour to be, my lord, your lordship's most obedient, and most humble fervant, PEMBROKE. To the Earl of Hillsborough, &c. Proceedings in the Cafe of Mr. Pizzoni, the Venetian Refident, N Thurday the 3d of February, the Lord Chancellor and Earl Mansfield met in Lincoln's-inn-hall, to try a caufe, as extraordinary as it was novel. The court itfelf was the first of the kind that ever fat in this kingdom; its jurifdiction was eftablished by an act paffed in the 5th of Queen Ann, which empowers the chancellor, and the two chief justices of the King'sBench and Common Pleas, or any two of them, to take cognizance of illegal attacks on the privileges of ambaffadors, and to judge of them in a fummary way. This accounts for Lord Thurlow and Lord Mansfield meeting on the fame bench. The caufe brought before them was on the complaint of the Attorney-general against a Mr. Reilly, an upholsterer, for fuing out a writ again Mr. Pizzoni, the late refident from the republic of Venice; Mr. Gapper, an attorney, for having figned it; and one Cawdron, a fherif's-officer, for having executed it, at a time when Pizzoni was entitled to the privileges of an ambaffador. The Attorney-general, affifted by the Solicitor general, barely stated the cafe in a mild manner, and prayed that the court would, for the fake of example, inflict a punifhment on the defendants. It was pleaded in favour of the defendants, that Mr. Pizzoni having had his audience of leave, and his fucceffor having been introduced to their majefties, it was very natural to fuppofe, that the former was no longer vefted with a public character, which could protect him from arrefts; and that, as the expreffion in the act of parliament, which allows to foreign minifters a reasonable time to withdraw from the kingdom, was vague and indeterminate, it was not to be wondered at, that they thought eight days a reafonable time. The counfel, therefore, hoped, that if the defendants deferved any punifhment at all, it ought to be the lighteft that the court could poffibly inflict. The Lord Chancellor did not appear inclined to feverity. He afked if the defendants had offered to make any fubmiffion. It was replied, that the attorney and offi. cer had; but that Reilly could not, being, at the time of the arrest, himself a clofe prifoner in the King's-bench for the debt due to him from Pizzoni. The Attorney - general, after having heard the defence, prayed, that, for example fake, the court would punish the defendants; but did by no means wil to overturn any thing that had been faid by way of mitigation. The Lord Chancellor obferved, that the queftion, being a queftion between between nation and nation, was by no means a fit fubject for fpe. culation. The time allowed for ambassadors to depart the kingdom could not, and indeed ought not, to be defined; nor fhould their privileges be invaded, even after they have difcharged their embaffy, unless it fhould appear that they intended to fink into the rank of common fubjects, by taking up their refidence in this country. As to the punishment, the affair, he faid, was of a delicate nature, and required fome time for deliberation before judgment fhould be pronounced. Of the fame opinion was Lord Mans field. of his majesty's civil establishment, by rendering the public accounts more eafy, by a farther fecurity for the independence of parliament, and by applying the monies, which are not now so properly hufbanded, to the public fervice; to afford all poffible relief to the people of this realm, thereby adding ftrength to his majefty's government. And therefore enacts, That the office of third fecretary of ftate, or secretary of state for the colonies, and the board of trade and plantations, shall be abolished. There are claufes, Declaring by whom the daties of fuch offices fhall be performed. The bill further fets forth, That the conftitution of his ma jefty's court and houshold being in many particulars inconvenient, and having a tendency to create expence, Therefore the bill enacts, That the offices of treafurer of the chamber, the treasurer of the houfhold, and the feveral other offices of his majefty's houfhold therein mentioned, with their dependencies, fhall be abolished. There are claufes, For transferring the jurifdiction of the Green-cloth to other perfons, and for providing for the tables of his majesty's houshold by contract for abolishing the offices of the great wardrobe, removing wardrobe, and other offices therein mentioned, with their dependencies-for abolishing the board of works, and for appointing a furveyor or comptroller of his majefty's buildings and gardens, and for providing for the expences at tending tending the fame by contract for declaring that all falaries and charges of his majesty's houfhold fhall be paid at the Exchequer that furniture and moveables of his majesty's houfhold fhall be purchased by contract for declaring that his majesty's ftables fhall be fupplied by contract-that the offices of master of the buckhounds, fox-hounds, and harriers, be abolished, and the duty performed by the fenior equerry, and to be provided for by contract-for making regulations in the body of yeomen of the guards, and band of gentlemen-penfioners-for abolifhing the office of paymaster of the penfions, directing that all penfions fhall hereafter be paid at the Exchequer-for limiting the fum to be appropriated to the penfion lift for regulating the private lifts of penfions--to limit the fum of money to be iffued for fecret service in one year-for regulating the iffuing of money for foreign and fecret fervice-for regulating the method of iffuing money for the purpofe of fpecial fervice-for claffing the order of payments of his majesty's civil eftablishment, and for applying the balance of fuch accounts. The bill fets forth, That there having been great delays in paffing the accounts of paymafter-general and treasurer of the navy; The bill directs The method of iffuing the money for the use of those offices refpectively to the Bank of England. There are claufes, Directing the method and times of making up their accounts, and for compelling the payment of balances. The bill alfo fets forth, In order that no reformation made by this act should operáte as a retrospective penalty, and to put an end to fuits between the public and private perfons: Therefore the bill enacts, That commiffioners may be appointed by his majefty, to call before them feveral accountants, against whom balances are returned, in order to examine and to proceed in fuch manner as in the bill is mentioned. The bill further fets forth, That feveral of the chief offices in the Exchequer being held for life, and having been granted as an honourable provifion for the perfons or families of those who have ferved the ftate, and which the law of the land hath insured to them, and that it is equally expedient that the crown fhould not in future be debarred from the means of making an honourable provifion for those who served the ftate. The bill fets forth, That the board of ordnance is properly a military concern, and at prefent attended with great expence to the public. Therefore the bill enacts, That the civil branch of the faid board fhall be fuppreffed. There are claufes, Directing in what manner the faid office fhall be executed, both for the land and naval fervicefor appointing a commiffion directed to certain commiffioners, who are to regulate all things relative to the faid ordnance, and to bring the fame to a more per fect fect conformity to military pur in the Adminiftration of the publie poles. There are alfo clauses Finances. and other fums of money, faved by virtue of this act, to the fink ing fund-to declare that no office fhall be created in the nature, or for the purposes of thofe abolished by this act for appointing commiffioners to hear the reprefentations of perfons aggrieved by this act; and for giving perfons difplaced by this act a right to the fucceffion to vacant offices. For carrying the falaries, fees,OUIS, &c. Being wholly oc Therefore the bill enacts What fhall be the faiary of certain offices of the Exchequer, after the lives of the prefent poffeffors and grantees in reverfion. The bill fets forth, That the conftitution of the Mint is expenfive, and that the coinage ought to be of none or little expence to the nation; Therefore the bill enacts, That the office of the Mint fhall be abolished. There are claufes For paying falaries to the prefent officers of the Mint, who fhall be removed that the Treafury fhall contract with the Bank for coinage that the Bank fhall undertake the remittance of all mo. ney for the use of his majefty's forces in foreign parts, declaring what perfons fhall hereafter be deputy-paymaller or army agents. Extract from the Edits lately pub-, bed by the King of France, on the Subject of national Oeconomy, quoted by Mr. Burke, in his Speech in the Neceffity of Reformation L cupied in eftablifhing order and economy in the expences of our houthold, in as great a degree as confifts with the dignity of our crown, we have confidered, that it will be conducive to this end to re-unite to us all the offices of our private houfhold, part of which had been alienated by the kings our predeceffors, under the titles of cafual revenues, and had thereby become a heavy charge to the crown; as we fhall therefore become alone interested in the number and value of thefe offices, we fhall be more at liberty to abolish fuch as appear to be ufelefs, to determine the emolument, to confult only, in thefe arrangements, our general views of adminiftration. We shall refer to ourselves to examine in our justice what difadvantages may enfue to our chief officers, and thofe of the queen, our dearest wife and companion, from the deprivation of thofe cafual revenues, which add nothing in fplendor equal to their immense charge. We will befides preserve to them their various privileges, and they always fhall be, as they at prefent are, eminently diftinguished by the rank and dignity of the perfons to whom they are entrusted. • For these causes, &c.' This Edict is compofed of three articles. ber, the Lieutenant ComptrollerGeneral of the Furniture belonging to the Crown; the Office of Comptroller-General of the Stables, of Lieutenant ComptrollerGeneral of the Plate, Houshold Amusements, and Affairs of the King's Chamber; and of the two Offices of Comptroller-General of the Queen's Houfhold; with the Establishment of a General Office for the Expence of the Houfhold. Given at Verfailles, in the Month of January, 1780. LOUIS, &c. Having reflected, that, without effential alterations in the direction of the expences of our houfhold, we fhould hardly be able to establish a permanent improvement in the conducting of them, we have begun by reducing the great number of coffers and treasuries to one only. We have, by our Edict of this day, united all the offices of our houfhold with the cafual revenues; and now, to render the plan we have prefcribed to ourfelves more complete, we have thought proper to fupprefs the offices of Comptroller-general of our houfehold, and of the Money Chamber; that of the Lieutenant Comptroller-general of the furniture belonging to the crown; the offices of Lieutenants and Comptrollers, general of our Stables; thofe of Lieutenants and Comptrollers-general of the plate, the houfhold amufements, and affairs of our chamber; the two offices of Comptrollers - general to the queen's houshold, our deareft wife and companion; and we will that all thefe offices fhall be paid in ready money after their liquidation. At the fame time we have thought proper to establish a general office for the expences of our houfhold, which fhall be compofed of two Magiftrates taken from our Chamber of Accounts, and five Commiffioners-general which fhall be thrown out by this arrangement, and who, in uniting their differ ent knowledge, will be very capable of conducting, with fpirit and uniformity, the whole expences of our houfhold. This office is to be immediately employed in a full examination of every part of it, in order to produce the greatest perfpicuity, for the purpose of introducing all the improvements of every kind, which the bufinefs is capable of; and fhall render an exact account of their operations both to the minifter of our houfhold, and that of finances, for the better introducing in this eftablishment every alteration which thall be found ufeful, and to the execution of which there yet remains every obftacle, that they may thus be immediately known and removed, and that our general adminiftration being thus drawn into one common of fice, may receive all the lights ne ceffary for accomplishing the plan we have approved. We keep our high and chief officers in the ha. nourable fituation of receiving our orders immediately from us, tranf mitting them, and watching that they are put into execution. they being called out on our fervice in our provinces and armies, and not having time to fpare in infpecting the particulars of finance and ceconomy, which res quire continual affiduity and watchfulaefs, we imagine they will be e; But hold, |