Soon after the poll clofed, advice was received from Margate, that Mr. Alderman Kirkman died on that day at that place.

This day the poll finally clofed for the borough of Southwark; the numbers ftood as follows: For Sir Richard Hotham Mr. Polhill.

Mr. Thrale

1177

1025

769 The event of yesterday's 16th.. bufiness is, that Mr. Kirk. man will be returned, as of courfe, and there will be a new writ iffued for the election of a member in his ftead, after the meeting of parlialiament.

A moft alarming tempeft 17th. of thunder and lightning

threw the inhabitants of Eastbourne in Kent into the utmolt confternation. A ftream of electrical fire fell upon the house occupied by Mr. Adair, next to that in which Prince Edward refided; and juft at the close of the ftorm, when the feverity of it was fo far fubfided as to leave no apprehenfions of danger, two of Mr. Adair's fervants were going out to view an engagement at fea, when the coachman, who was foremoft, was ftruck in ftantly dead, and thrown back against the butler, who, without being fenfible of the caufe, fell likewife to the ground. Upon recovering his furprize, he ran up ftairs in answer to the bell which was rung by the housekeeper. The butler's report fuggefted the neceffity of enquiring after the reft of the family. Upon opening the dining-room door, Mr. Adair was found lying on the floor, apparent ly in a ftate of infenfibility. He had fuftained a fevere ftroke, which affected his whole left fide, and particularly his arm, which was at first fuppofed to have been broken.

Amidft the hurry and confufion, the footman's abfence was not noticed, who had fhared in his fellow-fervant's fate; he was fonnd ftretched out on the floor in the pantry, and actually dead. Mifs Adair was in her room dreffing, and, though the wood work of the bed, from which he had just risen, was fhivered in pieces, the very happily did not fuftain the leaft perfonal injury. The house, appendages, and furniture, were much damaged, the chimney fplit, and partly thrown down, the windows fhattered, looking-glaffes broken, bell-wires in fome of the rooms melted, and cornices difplaced. In the room where the footman was found, a large ftone, forming a part of the front-wall, was forced out of its place. A feal ring (on Mr. Adair's finger) was cracked round the fetting of the ftone, and the watch which was in his pocket bore the appearance of being battered. A very extraordinary circumftance regarding the coachman was this; though it was evident, from the livid marks on his breast, that he received the fatal stroke there, the lightning had perforated a round hole in the lower part of his wig behind, which exhibited no figns of being burnt, but looked as if it had been cut with a pinking iron.-None of the neighbouring houfes received damage.

prifoners were tried; three of whom were convicted of felony, two of riots, and twelve were acquitted; 14 capital convicts received judgment of death.

At the clofe of the poll 22d. this day for the city and liberty of Weftminster, the numbers were as follow:

For Sir G. Bridges Rodney 5293 Hon. Charles Fox 4878 Lord Lincoln 4157 Lord Lincoln having laft 23d. night given up the conteft for Weltminler, by declining the poll, this day the high bailiff returned Sir George Rodney, and the Hon. Charles Fox, duly elected. Lord Lincoln then demanded a fcrutiny, which is to begin on the 10th of October. Admiral Young, for Admiral as proxy Rodney, and Mr. Fox, were then chaired, and carried in triumph, through different streets to the Duke of Rutland's, Duke of Portland's, and Duke of Devonshire's; after which they were brought back to Covent Garden to the committee-room, amidst a numerous crowd of fpectators.

Leitfick, Sept. 22. The famous town of Gera, fo renowned for its manufactures, is now no more. A moft violent fire broke out there on the 18th, which in a very fhort time made fuch a rapid progrefs, that it was impoffible to extinguish it, particularly as the wind blew very strong, and carried the flakes of fire from one part to another, which, as the houses are mostly covered with wood, cut and placed in the imitation of flates, foon made the conflagration general. In fhort, one cattle, an hofpital, and some small houses which were

out of the town, are all that are left out of 744 houses, of which that town was compofed: within the walls not one houfe is ftanding. The lofs in merchandize of various forts, corn, manufactures, &c. is immenfe, and a very great number of perfons, of all ages, are faid to be miffing. In fhort, the defolation of this once flourishing town of Gera is fcarce to be equalled in hiflory.

On the 22d ult. arrived at Stromnefs, the Refolution and Difcovery, commanded by Captain. Gore and Captain King, after a voyage of four years and four months on difcoveries. Their principal object was to fearch for a North Eaft or North Weft paffage from the fea of Kamtfkatka to Europe. This they have determined not to exift, at least for any commercial purpofe. It is faid they have discovered a confiderable group of new islands in the South feas, and that they have explored a tract of country on the western coaft of America, of the extent of upwards of 20 degrees of latitude.

Last month a violent shock of an earthquake was felt in Flint and Denbigh fhires: alfo in Anglefea and at Caernarvon, but not at Conway;; ftrongly at Llunrwft, across the vale of Clwyd, at Downing and Holiwell, which laft place was the furtheft it could be traced in Flintshire.

DIED, At Inch, in the county of Wexford, Mr. Henry Grofvenor, furveyor of the coast at Blackwater, aged 115 years. He was of French extraction, very fparing in his diet, and ufed much exercife; no one preferved more what the French call the youth of old age,

count Stormont, and Lord George Germaine, three of his majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attended by his majefty's Solicitorgen ral, being prefent, Mr. Laurens went under a long examina tion, which lafted till near fix o'clock, when a warrant of commitment was made out, figned by the three Secretaries of State, committing him a clofe prifoner to the Tower. Mr. Laurens was conveyed privately foon afterwards, as before, in a hackney-coach, accompanied by two military officers, and two mellengers, who were likewife named in the warrant. They arrived at the Tower about feven o'clock, and delivered their prifoner into the cuftody of the go

vernor.

In confequence of an ad9th. drefs to his majefty, from the Houfe of Commons, dated the 6th of July laft, the claims of a conderable number of fufferers by the late rebellious infurrections, have been laid before the Board of Works, the principal officers of which have made a report thereof to the Lords of the Treasury. A moft violent whirlwind 15th. or tornado burst on Hammersmith, Roehampton, Rich mond, Kingston, and the environs. The ftorm feems to have come in one direction from S. to N. it beat open the S. door of Hammersmith church, though a very ftrong one, and the chandelier becoming a conductor to the lightning, it paffed directly through the church, and beat out a very large Gothic window on the north fide, which was full of ftrong workmanship both in iron and ftone; tore down the fronts of fome houfes, blew down walls,

and tore up large trees by the roots; all the windows on the S. fide of the church were broken by tiles from the adjacent Houfes. The time of its duration at Ham. merfmith did not exceed four minutes. At Roehampton a barn with fome poor people in it was blown down, and feven out of eleven were fent to the hofpital; a ftable full of horses was likewife deftroyed. The effects of the lightning on the ground of the fields, and of the ftorm on the largest trees, was moft aftonishing, and ftill continue to draw a concourfe of fpectators. It has been faid, but we do not vouch it, that the ftorm carried a large tree clear across the Thames.

The violent form, which did fo much damage in the neighbourhood of London, was ftill more feverely felt at Cherburgh on the coast of France, where feveral fhips were driven out of the bay: the fea rofe to an alarming height; at Vologne the convent was truck with the lightning; in the foreft of Tour le Ville the trees were fet on fire by the flashes, which were inceffant for fome time in short, the inhabitants on that part of the coaft for many miles were thrown into the utmost confternation.

The council-houfe at Salisbury, a building erected about 200 years ago, and containing the law courts, was burnt down. It was observed on fire at five in the morning, and extinguished by nine. Happily the charters, pictures, and furni ture, were faved.

Mr. Langdale, the diftil17th. ler, whofe houses were deftroyed by the rioters the begin ning of June laft, brought his action against the lord mayor by ar8

reft...

reft, for the recovery of 40,000l. being a loss sustained by the negligence of the city magiftrates. 21ft.

The feffions ended at the Old Bailey, when the following perfons received fentence of death, viz. Anne Lavender, for ftealing a metal watch, a pair of ftone buckles, a diamond ring, and fome apparel, the property of Mary Adams, at her house in Southampton-ftreet, Bloomsbury; James Johnfon and Richard Brown, for ftealing two geldings, the pro perty of James Crow, out of his field at Edinford, in Bedfordshire; Richard Hapgood, for stealing a quantity of wearing apparel, the property of Mr. Adams, in his houfe in Hatton-ftreet; George Bishop, a letter-carrier in the General Poft-Office, for feloniously fecreting a letter fent by the poft from Burnley in Lancashire, from Mr. Greenwood, directed to Meff. Hitchen and Wood, in ChandoisAtreet, containing a bill of ex. change to the value of 301. and which was found concealed between two boards in a cellar, part of the apartments of the prifoner, in Jeru. falem-court; Margaret M'Clachlan and Mary Allen, for robbing William Copping, in a dwellinghoufe, whom they ftabbed in the face, and threatened to dig out his eyes; and Richard Hill, for ftealing linen to the value of 271, in the dwelling-houfe of Mr. Lewis, oppofite the Manfion-house.

A young man was tried at the above feffions on a charge of bur. glary and robbery; all the facts were ftrongly against him, but a point of law faved his life; the breaking and entering was juft upon the eve of the day, and happened not to be after dark; the

recorder therefore obferved to the jury, that the prifoner was entitled to acquittal for the burglary; but he was found guilty of the felo ny, and the recorder immediately pronounced fentence of three years hard labour on the river Thames. The judge obferved, that it was the nicety of the law question which preferved him from a capital con viction, and not any mitigation of the real fact charged; that for fo heinous an offence it was neceffary to make an example to deter fuch daring offenders in future.

A court of common26th. council was held at Guildhall, when a motion was made and carried to defend the lord mayor and fheriffs in the fuit commenced by Mr. Langdale, after a debate, and the opinion of the recorder, which went directly to that end.

A motion to discharge an alder. man with the cofts of a controverfy between him and his parish, as to the right of ferving churchwarden, was adjourned.

The expences of courts of confervancy were limited to 300l. in every mayoralty, The vacancies in all committees were ordered to be filled up at a fecond court.

A motion was made, seconded, and refolved, that the court have inspection of all bills drawn upon the corporation, and that no money be paid out of the chamber without the fpecial direction of the court of common- council. Some obfervations upon former accounts were mentioned, which required a nicer enquiry into all future claims, that the justice of them may be ascertained.

This day the new parliament met; his majesty as [P]4

31ft.

ufual