bufinefs at Boston: That the magiftrates of Boston were faid to be in Afylum; he had heard of Afylums for thieves, but never of Asylums for magiftrates; nor could he conceive how they could be faid to be protected while they could not officate, but were only in Afylum: That the troops had been fent to protect the commerce of the merchants after all trade was at an end; and that as to the execu tion of the acts of parliament, Gen. Gage could not be faid to have enforced them, fince the Americans had not yet fubmitted to them.

Mr. Cornwall arofe, faid he was forry to hear fo much ill-nature run through the house, that not any of the gentlemen who condemned the mode, had offered any other, neither could they until the American affairs came to be laid before the house.

The house was preparing to rife, till the speaker called to order, as Mr. Solicitor General had a matter to fubmit to the confideration of the house. The fourteen days appointed by the ftanding order of the houfe being expired, he faid, he begged to lay before it the following fhort tate of facts: Mr. Lockhart and Colonel Morris being candidates at the late election for members to serve in parliament for the boroughs of Cullen, Elgin, &c. in North Britain, the latter gentleman was declared duly elected. Mr.Lockhart, the other candidate, being at Lif bon for the benefit of his health, his friends (ignorant of the right mode of proceeding) wrote up to his agent in London to prefer a petition in his name; but it being neceffary that the petition fhould either originate with Mr. Lockhart's confiituents, or be signed by himself, the agent flated the matter to them by letter, which did not reach town till late lait night, he therefore fubmitted it to the houfe whether or not, confidering the peculiar circumftances of the cafe, the Itanding order might not be difpenfed with, and the petition entertained, this being but the 15th day. This occafioned a very warm debate, the propofition being ftrongly refitted by Mr. Townshend and Mr.Fuller. It being moved that the agent might be called in to give an account of the facts alledged in the petition; Mr. Fuller moved, that he fhould withdraw, A debate arose, in which Mr. Solicitor General was fupported by Mr. Dunning and the Attorney General. Mr. T. Townshend at length moved, that the debate fhould be adjourned to this day;

which motion was again amended by Mr. Solicitor General, by inferting the words "20th of January," inftead thereof; and the queftion being put, the house divided, when there appeared 13 for it, and 29 against it; and the original quef tion being then put, the house again divided; but there not being a fufficient number of members present to conftitute a house, the speaker adjourned it, it being then within a quarter of fix o'clock.

Wed. 21.] The fpeaker took the chair at two o'clock, the house was remarkably thin, and there was very little business done.

The bill for continuing the duty on all malt, &c. was read a third time and paffed.

The bill for regulating his Majesty's marine forces while on fhore, was read a fecond time and committed; as was likewife the bill for allowing the exportation of utenfils employed in the woollen ma nu factories.

Mr. Eyre, fitting member for Morpeth, having understood that the petition preferred against him, which was folely confined to the pretended force put upon the returning officer, might exclude the real merits of his cafe, which were founded on a majority on the poll, he begged leave that a petition might be prefented relative to the merits, as well as to the caufe of complaint already flated; and being informed it was now too late, as the order expired on Monday for receiv ing petitions, and that nothing now remained but hearing the contents of it as it stood, or moving to have it deferred, he fat down, after lamenting greatly the feverity of his cafe, which obliged him either to stand the event, or confent to fit in the house two years before his opponent could compel him to quit his feat, though he were unduly or inproperly elected.

The fpeaker read a letter from the chair, received that day from Mr. Scrope, a late candidate for the City of Lincoln, containing a petition complaining of bri bery and corruption at the lait electi on for members to reprefent the faid city in parliament, and defiring him to prefent the fame to the houfe. The speaker obferving that the application and petiti on were now too late, there was no further notice taken of it.

Mr. R. Fuller obferved, that the house was very thin, but that he understood from what paffed the preceding evening, that an attempt would be made on Friday

to

to open a door for receiving petitions complaining of undue elections contrary to the ftanding order, which limits the time to fourteen days. He now gave notice, he faid, in order that gentlemen might attend on that day to prevent a matter that must be productive of so much trouble, vexation, and expence.

On Friday Dec. 23.] His majefty went and gave the royal affent to.

An all for continuing and granting to his majefty certain duties upon malt, mum, syder and perry, for the service of the year one thousand feven hundred and seven. by five.

An act to allow the importation of India corn and maize, under certain refrictions.

And to one private bill.

and even in the management of his relax→ ations went to work in the cheapest manner: the latter, being of a more liberal turn, paid lefs attention to the difpofal of his money, for the procurement of any fatisfactions which could not be enjoyed without it: yet he too kept the line of difcretion in his view, and whenever he apprehended his capital in danger, redoubled his efforts to prevent a diminu tion of it.

The fiflers of these friends were fenfible, agreeable, accomplished girls; neither of them could boast of having beauty enough to ftand the critique of a drawing-room; but of the two, Maria Sedgwick had the most showy exterior; and as she was of a very lively difpofition, he had more smart fellows in her train than

The Cross Match. A Moral Tale. AMILY alliances are not always productive of the domeftic happiness expected from them by the contracting parties. Here and there we fee a happy intermarriage, but we more frequently meet with one of a different kind, efpecially among people who lay a great firefs upon appearance, and who look upon the making a figure as the foundation of all human felicity. Of this erroneous way of thinking were the two females whofe conduct in the marriage state oocafioned the following tale; and in confequence of that way of thinking, one of them brought herself to an untimely grave.

Two young merchants, intimate friends, infeparable companions, and concerned in the fame branch of commerce, though not actually in partnership, were very much refpected by all who had any dealings with them, and were confiderably encouraged, not only by thofe who employed them at home, but by their fofeign correfpondents. They were good men on the Royal Exchange, and they could not be called bad men any where. They were not at all averfe to pleasures, but they never fuffered their pleasures to interrupt the courfe of their bulinefs: they divided their time prudently between them.

The names of thefe friends were Sedg wick and Crompton, and there was but one trait by which they were, with regard to their tempers, ftrikingly diflinguifhed: the former was, though not a mifer, in the most rigorous fenfe of the word, extremely attentive to the main chance; January, 1775.

forms and faces infinitely more alluring. Sophy Crompton, equally fenfible, and rather pretty, had not fo many followers, because he was of a lefs communicative difpofition. What fhe faid was always to the purpose, but there was a coldness about her very unfavourable to chatting. She was not deftitute of perfonal graces, but he gave herself no trouble about the arts of pleafing in converfation: she was, therefore, more efteemed than beloved.

Different, however, as Maria and Sophy were in their difpofitions, in this re fpect, they agreed exceedingly well toge ther, and had never any of thofe filly tiffs (to adopt a female word) by which the dearest friends (and with no defpicable intellects) fometimes expofe themfelves upon the moft trivial occafions. Their hearts were free from envy, and they were never fo truly pleafed as when they were faying or doing fomething to give each other pleasure. In fhort, no four perfons paffed their time more focially, more happily together when they met, they met indeed fo often, that the majority of their neighbours (in the ufual benevolent stile) married them, and wondered that they themselves did not think of being hymeneally united. Their wonder was not of a long continuance: they did intermarry, and with the most propitious omens. George Sedgwick found Sophy Crompton all that he could wish for in a wife, and Harry Crompton was perfectly fatisfied with Maria Sedgwick. Luckily for the two wives, they improved upon their hufbauds every day after their union, and made them ftill more contented with the choice they had made. There never was, apparently, a more promifing B intermarriage,

intermarriage; and for a few years the conjugal felicity of this double pair was not interrupted by any domeftic occurren.. ces fufficient to threaten the deftruction of it. But the permanency of conjugal happiness (of any fort of happiness) can only be expected by those who have the lighteft acquaintance with the human fpecies, and who have the fmalleft infight into the operations of human nature..

The Sedgwicks and the Cromptons when they had lived about four years without finding themselves weary of their nuptial connections, without having any family feuds and quarrels, were rendered unhappy by fome very unexpected events. Harry Crompton, juft when he had one day finished the perufal of a letter from Amfterdam, which afforded him no small fatisfaction, received another from the North of England, which made a confiderable addition to it.

"SIR,

"Your uncle was taken fo ill this morning, that there is very great reafon to believe be never will be the man he was before. He thinks himself in a dangerous way; and is indeed fo affured he Thall not recover, that he has defired me, having loft the ufe of his right hand entirely, to inform you of his fituation, He wishes very much to fee you, and hopes that you will fet out immediately upon the receipt of this, having "fomething of confequence to communicate before he dies."-These are his words: he really imagines that he is near death, and I am, indeed, apprehenfive that his life will, in a fhort time, be at an end. It gives me great pleafure to inform you, that he now mentions you in the moft affectionate terms, and my pleasure is not a little increased when I think that I have been inftrumental in restoring you to his favour, by removing the prejudices he had entertained against you, in confequence of malicious mifrepresentations.

I am, Sir, very fincerely, Your Friend and humble Servant, JOHN MALDEN." This letter came from the curate of his uncle's parifh, of whom he had now an higher opinion than ever, and with reafon, as he had been actively ferviceable to him. Induced by the contents of this letter to believe that Mr. Barlow would make him 'his heir, he prepared for his journey to Yorkshire without delay.

As foon as he had given the neceffary orders to his fervant, Mrs. Crompton entered the room, just arrived from Mr. Sedgwick's.

"Here, Maria," faid he, putting good Curate's letter into her hands, will find fome unexpected and not difagreeable intelligence."

He then leaving her to the perufa it, hurried away to accelerate matt Mrs. Crompton, as fhe could hav natural affection for her husband's un a man, indeed, whom she had never1 could not feel much concern at the acc

which Mr. Malden had written o fituation. She therefore read it wit other emotions than thofe which the pectations, flattering to her ambit occafioned. She had a high tafte for the diverfions of the town; a tafte w fhe had increased by falling into a fet of acquaintances after her marria a tafte which fhe could not indulge q agreeable to her desires, as her husba not chufing to fe his name in the zette with a mark of degradation, w not allow her a fufficiency for the fur of her every want." If the old tleman fhould die now," faid fhe to felf, fitting with the letter in her ha "and fhould leave my dear Harr handfome legacy, I will not let him till he opens his purfe more freely. prefent, I make allowance for his putt me off on my coming to him for mon as he is a generous creature upon whole, and acts the part of a prud man, but if—”

The return of Mr. Crompton preve ed her from going on with the reflecti which Mr. Malden's letter excited.

My dearest Harry," cried fhe,rif brifkly from her chair, and taking h tenderly by the hand," this letter given me new fpirits."

"How, Maria!" replied he, w a grave look, "can the dangerous tuation of my uncle afford you any ple fure?"

"As I never was acquainted w him, replied, fhe; never faw him, cannot pretend to feel any pain on account; and I hope I may be permitt to say that I feel pleasure on his bei reconciled to you.

Harry smiling at the turn in the lat part of her reply, took leave of her the kindeft manner, intreating her take all poffible care of herself, a promifing to write to her before he can to the end of his journey.

When Maria had re-perufed M Malden's letter, and breathed a fe wifhes that the reconciliation betwe her husband and his uncle might be pr

ductiv

ductive of an addition to his fortune, fhe tripped away in the gaiety, in the opennels of her heart, to communicate her agreeable fenfations to her dear Sophy, as the most unreferved intimacy still subfifted between them.

Maria, running into the room in which he had two hours before left her friend in as happy a frame of mind as fhe had ever feen her, found her in tears.

Surprised at fo unexpected a fight, fhe could not help flarting-“ Good G−d ! my dear! from whence proceeds this alteration in you? What has happened? Do, pray make hafte to tell me, for I am quite impatient to know the cause of your forrow.

"I am afhamed to tell you to tell even you, my dear," replied fhe, looking up, but hardly diftinguishing whom the looked at, fo bedimmed were her eyes by weeping."I have met with a difappointment; it is but a trifling one, I confefs, but I am foolish enough to be very much affected by it." "Well, well," cried Maria, eagerly, let me hear it."

"I have never, you know, had occafon to complain of Mr. Sedgwick's behaviour to me: he has been very good to me, and I ought not therefore to be vexed at the first refufal I have received from him. Yet I muft own his denying me a small fum to purchase a piece of fprigged muflin, which ftruck my fancy, has hurt me exceedingly."

"And is this all, child?" replied Maria, laughing.

Yes, my dear, I knew you would laugh at me, but indeed I can't help it. However, I'll try---There," continued the, wiping away the laft tear, "now I am ready to hear what brought you hither again fo foon; for, when you left me, you gave me no hopes of feeing you till to-morrow.

"True, my dear: but on my going home, I found Mr. Crompton upon the point of leaving London: he has received a letter from the curate of his uncle's parish, acquainting him with his being dangeroufly ill; acquainting him alfo, at the fame time, with his being reconciled to him. This news, you may be fure. was very welcome to Mr. Crompton, and he is, in confequence of it, on his way to Mr. Barlow's.

Sophy's anfwer to this information, was exactly what her friend expected, who, after having intreated her not to think any more about the fprigged muflin (fee

ipg that he could not drive it out of her head) went home to employ herself in fome family affairs.-Soon after her departure, Mr. Sedgwick returned.

Sophy, thoroughly afhamed of her weakness, met her husband with aschearful a countenance as the could poffibly affume, and hoped that he would not," from her appearance, fufpect her of having wept about her difappointment. He accofted her with more tenderness than ever, but he shocked her, too, more than he had ever been shocked in her life.

"I was very forry, my dear Sophy," faid he, " to refufe your request before I went out this morning, but the truth is, I had juft heard a piece of intelligence which, if it proved true, would have rendered it neceffary for me to make a confiderable retrenchment in my houfhold expences: now, as that intelligence has proved true, a retrenchment must follow."

He then proceeded to communicate to her the failure of a scheme from which he had promifed himself a large addition to his income, and informed her at the fame time of the regulations which he propofed to make in his domestic arrangements.

Not quite recovered from her first dif-: appointment, poor Sophy was little prepared to ftand firm against this fecond very fevere one, which fhe felt the more keenly, having heard of her friend's new and flattering profpects. She now began to envy her Maria's fituation, and could not, without fome painful emotions, think of her being in the fairest way of making a fill more brilliant figure in the gay world. When once envy finds a paffage into a female breaft, adieu to all the fweets of peace. The bofom of an envious woman is never at reft: en

vy, it may be justly afferted, like ambition," murders fleep."

No man, in Sedgwick's reduced condition, could have behaved with more propriety, with more fortitude, than he did. The change which he made in his flyle of living, gave him not, apparently, the fmalleft uneafinefs. The difmiffion of two of his fervants out of four, would have hurt the pride of many of his neighbours exceedingly, but it did not rob him of his ufual tranquility: the ferenity of his countenance was an olienfible proof of the frength of his mind, Sophy exhibited no figns of the fame philofophy upon the mortifying occasion; the felt the difmiffion of her fervants