Thander-Storm at Glasgow.-Chamber of Commerce north gabel, which it totally threw down, and just below, through a hole of two or three inches in diameter, it entered a garret, where a man, his wife, and three children were in bed. It fhattered the wood work of the bed, forced a wooden par tition, which feparated them from the ftaircafe, feveral fteps down ftairs, and demolished a little brick party-wall, which divided their fmall habitation. It did them no injury, except leaving two lits tle marks, of the fize of a fmall cherry, on the chin of the youngest child. From the garret, it went through a hole juft below the chimney, into the back-room just below, paffed along a fpit that was hanging vertically on the wall adjoining to the fore-room; and, leaving the point of the fpit, it forced a hole immediately be low it, through the wall, juft oppofite to which a woman was fitting on a chair. It burned her fo dangerouíly that her life was defpaired of, toffed both her and her husband off their feats, and tore up a great part of the floor of the room. The back-room on the ground-flat was entered by the ceiling, clefe by the gabel, and near the Ere-place. Here it burft ópen the door of a large clofet in the wall, in which were feveral bottles of porter and other liquors, all of which it broke and tumbled on the floor; it alfo threw out the grate into the middle of the rcom, ftruck a fine large dog fenfelefs for fome minutes, then forced a large hole through the wall, about two feet from the ground, paffed into a hen-houfe, and killed the only hen which was in the rooft. A man and woman who were in bed in the room, just remember, that the dog, who had feveral links of a chain about his neck, farted up with a terrible howl; and that when they had recovered from the fright into which they were thrown, they found him lying feemingly dead below a table. The ftroke likewife vifited the kitchen. A fry ing-pan had a very neat hole, about the fize of a piftol-bullet, pierced through it. A pewter mug had figns of fufion on its fide: and a poor rabbit was killed below the maid's bed; at the foot of which the lightning had made a hole through the ftone-wall nearly four inches in diameter. Every pane of glafs in all the back-windows were fhattered to pieces. A Committee of the Directors of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce had a Conference with the Ld Advoc. on Mon. Aug. 13. refpecting feveral objects of great importance to the country, viz. 1. With regard to having paper, parchAPPEND. to VOL. VI. 433. ment, and vellum Ramped at Edinburgh. This would not only be of great convenience to the kingdom of Scotland, but would alfo promote the manufacture of thefe articles, which are now brought ftamped from London many per cent. inferior to what is made in this country. 2. With refpect to obtaining a law for punishing capitally the wilful finking of hips. Severai trials upon this point have been brought forward at Edinburgh, of which the most remarkable were that of Lampro 1751, and of M'İver, McCallum, and Herdman, of notorious memory, in 1784. Though the crime was clearly proved in both cafes, and in the laft to an extraordinary degree of villany, the only punishment was pillory and banishment This crime is tapital in England; but it is not yet fo in Scotland. It is obvious how detrimental this may be to the commerce of this country. Petty theft is pun ifhed with death; but fraud, perjury, and robbery to great extent, accompanied not unfrequently with murder, and all thefe crimes committed by the wilful finking of a flip, is only petit felony. 2. With regard to the wilful burning of houfes, and the practice of fwindling. Some few years fince, two men were convicted of burning their own houfes at the foot of Leith Walk, to defraud the infarers, and they could only be punished with banishment. Had this been done in a city, how many lives, and how much property might have been loft !—The practice of fwindling, or robbery, to large amount, under falfe pretences, is become fo common, that fome law feems neceffary more effectually to check it. 4. With regard to the feizure or deten tion of valuable fhips, for the fault of a faiior having, unknown to the mafter or owner, fecretly conveyed on board a few gallons of fpirits, &c.It is certainly right to punifh fmuggling; but it is fevere to make the merchant liable in fo high a degree for the folly of a common failor. Let the perfon offending be punished by imprisonment, or in whatever way the law may appoint; but it is detrimental to commerce to punish the merchant for what he can neither forefee nor prevent, and where it is obvious there could be no intention to defraud. coaft-bonds, cockets, &c.it furely ap 5. With regard to cuflomhoufe-fees, pears extremely unjuft, that the trade of Scotland fhould be laid under restrictions, and tedious forms and duties, which are not permitted in England, and many of which are contrary to law. 3 H The The country are undoubtedly much obliged to the Chamber of Commerce for their attention to its interefts and profperity; and every friend of Scotland muft fincerely with them fuccefs in their exertions, while they thus appear the fupporters of good government, and of trade and manufactures. The convention of delegates of the burgeffes of Scotland, affociated for obtaining a reform in the internal government of the boroughs, continued their meetings on Thurfday the 16th and Friday the 17th of Auguft, in the Magdalen Chapel, Edinburgh, and then adjourned till the firft Wednesday after the 12th Auguft next year. The deliberations of the delegates, on the different circumftances of the business before them, relating to the important and neceffary object of reform, were conducted with a decorum, propriety, and unanimity, which reflects great honour upon every member of this afïembly; and many of the fpeeches were diftinguifhed with remarkable intelligence, elegance, and force of expreffion. Several votes of thanks were paffed to those diftinguished characters and public bodies who have efpoufed the intereils of reform; and refolutions entered into to introduce it again into parliament in the courfe of next fellion, and to perfevere in the bufinefs till the object in view is obtained. There were added to the convention-committee in Edinburgh, the Hon. Henry Erfkine; James Dewar of Vogrie, Efq; James Farquhar, Efq; merchant, Edinburgh; and the Hon. John Douglas, Advocate. The clerks of the high court of jufticiary having returned to the Solicitor of excife the pool. produced by him in evidence on the trial of an eminent diftiller*, and which fum the Solicitor did confider was given with an improper intention, the money was immediately depofited in the Royal Bank of Scotland, to be applied, under the direction of the Sheriff of MidLothian, as a fund towards the building of a public Bridewell for the county and city of Edinburgh; and in the mean time, till it is nec flary to take up the 500l. for this purpose, the intereft thereon, at 4 per cent. per annum, is to be paid over annually to the Treafurer of the Royal Infirmary for the benefit of that charity. Greenock, Aug. 21. The take of herrings from the Garvel Petch to Finlayfton Point, and even to Dunbarton Cafile, is amazing fince the 15th inftant. They are fold from eight pence to one fhilling per hundred for falting, and for the red Herring houfe at Courock; and the deal ers in herrings come down here, and falt up vast quantities, in orange and lemon boxes,which they carry through the country on carts, for fale. Ou Thurfday Aug. 23. the cutting of the Paifley Canal commenced. One of the magifirates, in prefence of several gentlemen of the Council, began the work, by turning out the firft fhovel full of earth.. It is intended to be navigable for veffels of feventy tons burden. This navigation will connect with Glasgow, Greenock, and the Irish ports; and, when the Great Canal is brought through to the Clyde, it will open up a communication with the eaft coaft, France, Holland, &c. By this neceffary and laudable undertaking, great advantage will refult to Paifley and its populous neighbourhood. This work, it is believed, will be nearly completed in 1788. *Sec Edin Mag. SEPTEMBER. TURKEY. Confantinople, July 26. The Ottoman Miniftry, invited M. de Bulgakow to a conference, at which the Grand Vizir Reis Effendi and [Secretary of State] prefided, and delivered the fix following articles in the form of requifitions: 1. As they had found by experience, that the Conful, whom the court of Ruffia had established in Moldavia, was a reftlefs and turbulent man, who endeavoured by every means to embroil the two empires; his Highness infifted on his being obliged to leave the Ottoman States without delay. 2. As the troubles which had fubfifted for two years in Georgia had evidently. refulted from the protection granted by the Emprefs to Prince Heraclius of Georgia, contrary to the spirit of treaties; it was but juft that the troops of Ruffia fhould abandon Feflis, and retire fo far back as to re-establish the tranquillity of that country. 3. The Ruffian veffels that pafs by Conflantinople having always on board prohibited merchandife, his Highness requires, that they fhail be vifited without exception. 4. The Sublime Porte having been informed with certainty, that Prince Alexander Maurocordato, who in the beginning of February had escaped from Yari, had been fheltered in Ruffia, demands that he be given up. 5. He requires a fupply of falt from the Ruffians to the Turks of Ocfakow, accor➡ ding to their wants. 6. His Vol V. p. 485. Naval Force of the Turks and Ruffians. 16. His Highness requires the establishment of Agents in the Ruffian States, for the protection of the commerce of his fubjects. This conference is faid to have lafted a confiderable time; when M. de Bulgakow, not having fufficient inftructions, begged he might be permitted to write to his Sovereign on the subject; which requeft he obtained; but, on the 6th of Auguft, an extraordinary Divan was affembled, when the majority of the counfel fiding with the Grand Vizir and Reis Effendi, it was judged most expedient to declare war without waiting for an answer from Petersburg. Accordingly, on the 18th of Auguft laft, war was declared in form at Conftantinople, and M. de Bulgakow commited to the prifon of the Seven Towers. When the Emprefs of Ruflia finished her laft war with the Ottoman Porte, the following was the ftate and condition of her naval force fit for service. Guns. Anna Petrowna 74 Kuleden .435 Guns. 64 64 74 Mofcow 64 74 Kruefenchte 64 74 La Zealoffe 64 74 64 64 La Sophie 74 Denbrog Of frigates, &c. upwards of thirty of different force have been built: but as there is no real account, it is impoffible to fpeak with precifion.-Ruffia has, however, at least an hundred men of war at this time, of which number about half are of the line, from 90 to 54 guns. The Turkish navy, according to the lateft accounts, confifted as follows: Ships. Guns. Ships Guns. 100 8 of 64 ! Befides frigates, floops, bombs, ze becks, and gallies. Out of thefe are the two fleets, one in the Black Sea under the command of the Pache Ali Gabriel Beyd, and the other 36 in the Archipelago; the first confifts of fixteen fhigs, and the other of eleven. 36 Guns. 42 San Pantelemaine 74 Toufa 36 36 36 St Alefiandro 70 Jazeker 34 There is a third fleet at Conftantinople, which confifts of forty fail, of which two are of the line. ITALY. Naples. By letters from Sicily we have had a relation of an extraordinary eruption of Mount Etna, fuch a one as has not happened in the memory of man; a rumbling noife and numberlefs fhocks of earthquakes preceded this eruption; but on the 18th of laft month, about three o'clock in the morning, a terrible volume of fire iffued from the mountain like a whirlwind, and of fuch a prodigious height, that it feemed as if the mountain was opened, and the column of fire appeared two thirds higher than the fummit. An immenfe cloud of smoke preceded the flame, the blaze of which was fo great that people could fee to read at twenty miles diftance ;-besides that, a fhower of fand, or calcined lava, and ftones of an enormous fize were caft to a prodigious height, and fell down again with a moft terrible noife. Sulphurrous ftones, lightnings, and horrible noifes followed this eruption. The column of fire took its direction towards the Jonic Sea, to the eastward of the coaft of 70 the Morea, but at a certain diftance it fhifted Befides cutters, pinks, &c. That Ruffia has confiderably increased her marine fince that period is beyond all contradiction, as the following, among others, are known to be now in her ordinaries at Revel, Cronstadt, &c. where the men of war are usually laid up. Guns. Guns. 74 74 Holftein 74 74 Patriarque 76 Kamfchatka fhifted towards Africa. We learn that the flower of fand and ftones fell on the city and fuburbs of Meflina and Calabria, and on all the islands and adjacent coafts as far as Malta. All the ice and fnow on the tops of the mountains was melted, and fome perfons wounded by the flones which fell in the neighbouring countries; the inhabitants fuffered from a fuffocating fmell of fulphur and bitumen, and from the extreme heat of the air; all the produce of the earth, the olives, fruits, and Indian corn are burnt; in short, for many miles diftance, the land rcfembles the fcorched deferts of Lybia. It is remarkable that Vefuvius at the fame time began to fend forth flames, and the lava flows at prefent along the valley which feparates that mountain from from Mount Somma. GERMANY. Vienna. On the 15th of Auguft, the States of Auftrian Flanders appeared before the Emperor to juftify their conduct; their reception was courtly, but by no means fatisfactory. Their remonfrance by the Abbe de Grimbergue, in the name of the reft, was firm, manly, but full of duty. His Majesty's anfwer was flern, ungracious, and unconciliating, "My juft ditpleafure at what has paffed in my Belgie provinces," faid his Majefty," is not to be appeafed by a flow of words only; it must be fuch that follow, to prove to me the reality of thofe fentiments, fidelity, and attachment, which you have given me an affurance of, on the part of your confti tuents. “I have given orders to the Prince de Kaunitz, to communicate to you in writing, and for the notice of your States, the orders which I have fent to my Government; and the execution of which I expect to be effecd before entering into any deliberation whatever. The welfare of my fubjects is the fole object of all my proceedings, of which you ought to be perfuaded by my calling you together in the moment when you have been bold enough to merit my indignation; and with all the means in my power to punifh, I have nevertheless repeated the affurance of preferving you." The orders referred to in the above anfwer were as follow: "The Emperor and King, Trufty and well-beloved Comte de Murray, Counfellor of State, &c. You will find, by the narrative annexed, in what terms I explained myself to the Deputation from the States of my Belgic Provinces. All the proceedings, more or lefs, of which the States and a part of the people have been guilty, are notorious; con fequently it is impoffible for me to yield to the fentiments of clemency which I am inclined fo cherish, or to the favour able difpofitions which I manifefied to the Deputation of the States, until there fhall not remain the fmalloft veftige of any part of what they have dared to com mit in contempt of the fovereign autho rity fince the 1ft of April of this year. To this effect it is neceflary, 1. That in all the Provinces every thing fhould be reftcred to the footing on which it ftcod before the 1st of April. 2. The Univerfity and General Seminary of Louvaine, with all the perfons employed and belonging to each, muft be re-established in the condition in which they flood, or ought to have ftcod, on the faid 1ft of April; and it must be the fame with the feminary of Luxembourg, 3. The States of all the Provinces muft fubmit implicitly to the payment of the fubfidies, both thofe that are in arrear, and thefe which are current. 4. The companies of Burgents, their military exercifes, uniforms, cockades, and all other marks of party-pinit, as well as all other illegal affociations and meetings, fhall be forthwith abolished; and, in defect of troops, each Magiftrate fhall take the most effectual measures for the fupport of the police and of good ørder. 5. The Convents, fuppreffed previous to the ift of April laft, fhall remain fuppreffed for ever; and the nominations that may have been made fince, fhall be null. 6. All the perfons in office, whom they have prefumed to displace, must be reftored; with the exception only of the Intens dants and Members of the new Tribunals of Justice; thefe two topics being of the number of thofe on which I am difpofed to listen to my States, and to commune with them. 7. It is alfo indifpenfable, that all which regards the Chapters of Chanonopes, the religious fraternities, and all which re fpects the clergy as citizens and subjects of the States; and, generally, that all things fhall be reftored to the condition, and be made inftantly conformable to the ordinances exifting at the above pericd. In a word, there must not remain the fmalleft veftige of any thing committed contrary to my orders and intentions fince the first of April of this year. My and the Auftrian Netherlands. My dignity, continues his Majefty, renders all thefe Preliminaries abfolutely indifpenfable; but if, contrary to expectation, it fhall happen that any one thall oppofe this reftitution, I authorife you to employ all the means I have cont ded in you, and which, but with much regret, though I find it neceffary, I am obliged to augment as far as occafion fhall require.' His Majefty concludes, with declaring his readiness, when all thefe preliminarics are fulfilled, to concert with the Affemblies of the States what will be beft in the feveral branches of adminiftration for the general good. JOSEPH, Vienna, Aug. 15. The above Preliminaries induced the Deputies to prefent a Memorial to the Count de Kaunitz, in which, with a high and manly fpirit, they contend for the privileges of their conftitution. They lament that the new tribunals of Juftice, and the miferable intendancies, inftead of being abolished, fhould yet be left as a matter for difcuffion. They complain that his Majefty fhould require the payment of the fubfidies without difcuffion, feeing that, not being impofed with the confent of the affcamblics of the States, they are in direct violation of the conftitution. They conclude with the following animadverfion on the latter part of the Emperor's inftructions to the Comte de Murray. "We are not ignorant, my Lord, that his Majefty can employ the force which Divine Providence has put into his hands; but can the goodnefs of his heart fuffer him to employ means fo contrary to the welfare of his fubjects? Can he deliver up his children to the deftroying hand of military execution, and that for no other reason than that they remain attached to a conftitution which, fecuring the legitimate right of the Sovereign, operates at the fame time to the happiness of his people? Can the paternal tenderness of his Majefty permit him to deftroy his faithful fubjects, inftead of governing them by their original and native laws, under which they have happily flourished for fo many ages? Can he reconcile means fo deftructive with the paternal difpofitions which he hath deigned to manifeft, and which their inviolable fidelity hath made fo proper? That which his Majefty thinks due to his infulted dignity, will it be obtained, if, to revenge himfelf, he fhall deliver up to fo many horrors his faithful fubjects, who have ever been prodigal of treafure, and even of 437 their blood, in defence and for the glory of his house? "We prefume therefore to fupplicate your Highnefs to condefcend to employ. in our favour your good will and high protection, and to make known to his Majefty our juft apprehenfions-to procure the revocation of the orders, fome qualification of them, or at least to fufpend the dispatch of the courier, that we may have time to give advice to our prin cipals, to the end that, with the zeal which always animates them, they may prepare the people for news fo difinal, and ftrive to ward off the confequences, which, with the knowledge of these orders, we must apprehend." This memoir, however, had no effect. The difpatches were fent, and the preliminaries of the Emperor, (who about that time went on a journey to Bohemia) being known, threw the whole country into diforder. AUSTRIAN NETHERLANDS. Bruffels, Aug. 27. This morning the States of Brabant affembled, and at ele ven o'clock the third eftate was called in, to deliberate on the answer to be made to the Emperor's propofals, when there were great debates. MEMORIAL of the States of Brabant to bis Excellency the Count de MURRAY. "The States of Brabant, after returning their thanks to his Excellency for the speedy communication of the orders which have been addreffed to him, dated the 16th inftant, cannot but teftify to his Excellency the feeling of forrow as well as grief into which the nation is plunged, by the charges of blame contained in the dispatches of his Majefty, and in the fpeech he has deigned to make to the Deputies fent to the foot of his throne. But if the States or the people of the low countries took the liberty of proceeding upon any affair contrary to the fubmiff on due to the Sovereign authority, the States of Brabant would think themselves obliged to remonstrate to his Excellency, that in all their reprefentations, and all their' meafures, there was never any thing cortrary to order, obedience, and the pureft fidelity. They have confined themfelves in their remonftrances, and in the courfe of their prefent embarraffinents,to reclaim their right with fubmiffion, and at the fame time, with that firmnefs which the ftate of difquiet and the diftrefs of the nation indifpenfably requires. "It is more than notorious, that the difcontents, and the general emotion of the |