earned, and information to all. I be ieve I am not mistaken, when I affert Ito, that nothing will be there admitted which militates against the effablished religion of this country, or any thing refuled admittance which can in any way promote that canfe, or the happi

nefs of individu is attached to it.

1 profefs myfelf a fincere believer in the religion of Jefus, as pra&tifed by the eabl fhed church; and a true conformer to it, even to that greatly effential yet much-negle&ted part, the facrament of his body and blood. And, although I am convinced that nothing but a lite of repentance, a firm trust in him, a fincere adherence to his commands, and a faithful difcharge of all the duties of morality, can enfure to a Chriftian the well-grounded hope of immortality, yet do I not on it to attend that divine inAitution, firmly perfuaded, that a linvoluntary errors will be forgiven, divine affiance afforded, and by perfeverance final happiness attained. Yet, Sir, I

cannot but obferve that we are not all

of us equally prepared to partake of that ineftimable benefit." Daily employed in the bufinefs, or occupied with the pleasures, of the world, the greater part of us requires fomething to awaken us-to recall our fcattered ideas to the one thing needful," to convince us of the importance, the fanctity, of the fervice we are going to perform. In short, fir, I think, to thofe, whofe occupations will allow them leifure, a ferious preparation, and felf-examination indifpen. fably neceffary.

66

gene

from the folio edit. of Peck's Defiderata Curiofa, Book VI. p. 38.

real admirer and

T.K.

Month's Mind] The fervice ufed on thị founder's anniversary was called his year's mird, befides which he had other lefs commemorations performed for him, called his month's mind, and his week's mind ; names which speak themselves.

So Father, Bishop of Rochester, preac! ed a fermon in commemoration of the La'y Margaret, Counters of Richmond and reiby, and accordingly entitles it “A "Mornynge Remembrance, had at her "Moneth Minde."

Thefe fervices were formerly thought to benefit the fouls of the dead much. And though the opinion is now otherwife, to be fure every man then thought himself happy, whocould afford moneyenough to leave a main tenance for a particular prieft to pray for hims

This helps to explain an old expref fion we have (often afed but I think now very little understood), and that is, when people earnestly defire a thing, they fay, "they have a month's mind to it."

to it, they antiently muft undoubtedly mean, By faying they have a month's mind that, if they had what they fo much longed for, it would (hyperbolically speaking) do them as much good (they thought) as they believed a month's mind, or fervice faid once a month (could they afford to have it),would benefit their fouls after their decease.

THE readers of the following little

piece are informed, that it is copied from the common-place book of a friend lately dead; who, there is reason to think, never intended it for the public eye. Yours, &c. A. Z. A FRAGMENT ON BENEVOLENCE. -He gives his mite to the relief of po verty. Joy enlivers his countenance, and pleature iparkles in his eye. He can lay his hand upon his heart, and fey, "I have done his feelings? None but thofe whole tips the a good thing." But who can do justice to

God of Ifrael hath touched with facred fire! None but thofe whofe pens are guided by the infpiration of the Almighty! And though delightful fenfation, I am totally unable to at this moment my heart expands with the exprefs it. Moit devoutly do I thank thee, O Lord, that thou haft given me feeling.

The

The fenfation, indeed, is fometimes painful; but the intellectual pain far excels the most delightful fenfual pleafure.-Ye kings and princes of the earth, poffefs in peace your envied grandeur! Let the epicure gratify his palate; let the miser hoard his gold in peace. Dear Senfibility! do thou but spread thy benign influence over my foul, and I am fure I shall be happy.

He held out his hat. "Pity me," faid he, but turned away his face, to hide his blushing countenance, and the tear which stole down

his cheek. I faw it though; and that little tear, with a force as powerful as the inundations of the Nile, broke through all the bounds of cautious prudence. Had the wealth of the Indies been in my pocket, I could not but have given it. I gave all I had. He caft his glistening eyes upon me. "You have faved a family: may God bless you!" With my then fenfations I could have been happy through eternity. At that inftant I could have wished all the wheels of Nature to have stopped.

H. OF LORDS.

May 1.

THE HE royal affent was given, by commiffion, to 32 public and 18 private bills.

In the Commons, the fame day, Mr. Hobart brought up the report of the Committee on the commercial credit of the nation.

Mr. Jekyll faid, he had converfed with feveral men of mercantile infor. mation; from whom he learned, that, independent of the immenfe quantity of paper in circulation, in confequence of the private banks, there was another fpecies, called accommodation-nores, which was eftimated at feven millions. He therefore conceived that, instead of five millions, feven millions of Exchequer bills ought to be iffued to meet the exigency.

Mr. Fox faid, that, in looking into the Gazette, he faw that Exchequer bills bore an interest of three-pence per day per cent. Under the prefent report, he faw that it was intended the bills fhould be iffued at two-pence halfpenny per day per cent. He thought it would be beft to add another halfpenny, to make it equal to the Exchequer tills already in the market. He wished to know it it was intended to iffue the bills on par or at a discount.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer anfwered, at par.

Mr. Adam lamented, that it was not in his power to attend his duty in that Houfe on the preceding day, when what he was about to fay would have come with more regularity. He then entered ino feveral obfervations on the propofed mode of relief, and the doubts which he entertained of its fuccefs. As it was allowed, that the principal caufe of the calamity was in confequence of

the Bank ftopping discount, he thought that Parliament ought, by way of fecurity, to advance to the Bank the fum of one million and a half, to enable that body to difcount, as far as their difcretion would dictate, as ufual.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer conceived the method propofed by the Commitree would be found to be preferable.

Mr. Henry Thornton thought the intereft ought to be kept as near five per cent. as poffible.

Mr. Huey was of the fame,opinion. Difficulties would arife in every step s but that fhould not dishearten the Houfe the wifdom of which, he hoped, was equal to the attainment of the object, which must be the wish of every man in that Houfe.

The report was then read the first and fecond time, and agreed to.

H. ОГ

LORDS. May 2.

A meffage was fent to the Commons, that the Lords would proceed farther on the trial of Warren Haftings, efq. on Monday.

In the Commons, the fame day, Mr. Duncombe prefented a petition from feveral inhabitants of the town of Shef field, praying a parliamentary reform. The hon. member stated, that he was a friend to parliamentary reform; but, as the prefent petition went to an univerfal reprefentation, he could not fupport it. There were expreffions in it, which, in his opinion, reflected on the dignity of the Houfe; if, however, the Houle would confider that it was figned by artificers and labourers, that would cooperate as an extenuation of the fault.

Mr. Wilberforce conceived the Houfe could not, confiftent with its dignity, receive the petition, in confequence of fome difrefpectful expreffions in it.

Mr.

-May 3.

The circumftance moft worthy of attention is the names of the commiffioners who are to be intrufted with the mas nagement of the five millions of Exche quer bills.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, he had fpared no pains to make a selec tion to deferve public confidence, and to difcharge the truft repoled in him, not only with integrity, but also with abilities and knowledge. Seven of these. gentlemen were members of that Houfe, four of them were in the Bank direc.. tion, and the rest were eminent merchants of the city of London, and all of them extremely converfant in business of this nature. He conceived it would be enough for him to menyon their names; which were,

Lord Sheffield,
Sir Grey Cooper, bart.
Mr. Pulteney,
Mr. Chifwell,

the flave-trade.

In the Commons, the fame day, fe. veral petitions were prefented, from Scotland, for a reform in the reprefentation in Parliament; which were ordered ro lie on the table.

Mr. Courtenay obferved, that fome women were committed to the gaol of Nottingham, where they had remained many years, and where they were likely to remain. They were committed for contumacy. They were fuppofed to have contracted matrimony contrary to the rites of their religion, and were fent to gaol by the Ecclefiaftical Court, If they could have proved that they were Jews or Quakers, they would have been infantly discharged. They were impritoned by the Ecclefiaftical Court to foffer penance, which was both shameful and inefЯual, and principally with a view to extort money from them. This was done in the genuine jure divino fpirit, which they had derived from the Church of Rome. He faid, he should not make any motion then on the fubject, as there was other business of importance prefling upon them; but he hould take up the bufinefs carly in the Dext fellion.

The Houfe then went into a Committre on the commercial credit bill, Mr. Hobart in the chair. Some converfation took place on the different claufes of this bill, in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mellrs. Sheridan, Lambton, haker, Curwen, and Jekyll, spoke.

Mr. Ald. Anderton,
Mr. R. Smith,
Mr. Bofanquet,
Mr. T. Boddington,
Mr. Manning,

H. OF

Mr. Whitmore,
Mr. T. Baring,
Mr. Fofter,
Mr. R. Darell,
Mr. Raikes,
Mr. C. Grant,
Mr. G. Innes,

Mr. Barclay,

Mr. J. Harman, "and ̧

Mr. Brogdon.

LORDS.

May 6.

2

Their Lordhips proceeded with the trial of Warren Haltings, efq.; which was adjourned to Thurfday.

The Houfe refolved itself into a Cam, mittee on the debtor and creditor bill, and went through feveral of the clauses.

In the Commons, the fame day, the commercial credit bill was read the third time; when leveral amendments were agreed to by way of ryders, and the bill ordered to the Lords.

Several petitions were prefented, praying for a reform in the Commonshoufe of Parliament; all which were ordered to lie on the table except one, which, being printed, it was again a ftanding order to receive.

Mr. Grey then rose to make a motion for a parliamentary reform, which he prefaced with a speech of confiderable length, and concluded, that one of the petitions (which himself had prefented) be referred to the confideration of a Committee. This brought on a debate, which lafted till two in the morning, when Mr. Harley moved, that the debate be adjourned; which Mr. Pitt coinciding with, the foule divided, Ayes 181, Nots ing.

H. OF

votes of the Duke of Queensberry and the Earl of Abercorn.

The Earl of Morton fpoke in fupport of the votes challenged.

Lord Grenville moved the previous queftion on Lord Kinnoul's motion; on which the Houfe divided; Contents 27. Not-contents 26.

Some debate then enfued on Lord Grenville's motion for a reference to the Judges; and, on the question being put, the Houfe divided,

Contents 26, Not-contents 2.5. A third divifion then took place on the motion for bringing up the report; Contents 17, Not-contents 15. The report was then received.

In the Commons, the fame day, the House refolved itself into a Committee upon the government and commerce of India, when Mr. Wilberforce moved, "That it is the peculiar and bounden duty of the Legislature to promote, by all juft and prudent means, the intereft and happiness of the British fubjects in the East Indies, and to provide for their advancement in ufeful knowledge, and in religious and moral improvement."

Mr. D. Scott feconded the motion; which was put, and carried.

Mr. Wilberforce next moved a refolution, that the Eaft India Company fhould provide places of worship in India, and fend out proper minifters to officiate therein; and that they should allo provide a chaplain for every veffel of 600 tons. No minifter to be fent to India unless first approved of by the Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Bifhop of London, for the time being.

Mr. Francis faid, the propofed meafures would be wholly nugatory to good purposes, and operate only to the increafe of patronage. This question was alfo put, and carried.

H. OF LORDS. May 14. Lord Stanhope brought in a bill for preventing fecret acts of bankruptcy.

The Scotch Catholic bili went through the Committee without any amendment.

In the Commons, the fame day, Mr. Wilberforce moved for leave to bring in a bill to prohibit the farther fupply of flaves to foreigners; on which feveral members fpoke; when the Houfe divided, Aves 41, Noes 34.

Mr. Wilberforce then moved for leave to bring in a bill to regulate and limit

In the Commons, the fame day, Mr. Dundas faid, he was clearly of opinion, that the duty on coals brought into Scotland coaftways ought to be repealed, without a compenfation of any kind whatever; because, although it did not exceed 12,000l. per annum, it amounted in many places in Scotland to a total prohibition. From the beginning of the month of July to September their whole time was occupied in getting fuet; fo that all that time was loft, He thought that the duty on fpirits in Scot land was too low; in confequence of the cheapnefs, the drinking of spirits in Scotland had been carried to a great length; and, therefore, he propofed laying an additional duty on Scotch fills, which would be a compenfation for the repeal of the tax upon coals, and would amount to near 100,000l. per annum over and above, which would be an improvement of the revenue to that extent. He concluded by moving, “that the duty now payable on coals, brought coaftways into any port of that part of Great Britain called Scotland, fhould entirely ceafe and determine, and be no longer paid." The question was put on this motion, and agreed to.

H. OF LORDS.

May 16.

After a debate of confiderable length, their Lordships agreed to proceed farther in the trial of Warren Haftings, efq. to-morrow.

In the Commons, the fame day, Major Hobart moved a refolution in a Committee of the whole Houfe, that the Irith be permitted to export articles to this country legally imported into that from our colonies. Agreed to.

(To be continued in our Supplement )