ties are to be deemed fterling money.

The clerk of the parliaments, and clerk of the house of commons, are impowered to fend and receive letters free of poftage.

Privileges of ambasadors and their fervants, as to their debts by the laws of England.

refpect to civil fuits, all the

ther an ambaffador, nor any of his train, comites, can be profecuted for any debt or contract in the courts of that kingdom wherein he is fent to refide: yet Sir Edward Coke maintains, that, if an ambassador make a contract which is good jure gentium, he fhall ayfwer for it here. And the truth is, we find no traces in our law books of allowing any privileges to ambaffadors or their domeftics, even in civil fuits, previous to the reign of queen Anne; when an ambaffador from Peter the Great, Czar of Muscovy, was actually arrefted and taken out of his coach, in London, in 1708, for debts which he had there contracted. This the Czar refented very highly, and demanded (we are told) that the officers who made the arrest fhould be punished with death: but the queen (to the amazement of that defpotic court) directed her miniftry to inform him, that the law of England has not yet protected ambaffadors from the pay. ment of their lawful debts; and that therefore the arreft was no offence by the laws; and that the could inflict no punishment upon any, the meaneft of her fubjects, VOL. VIII.

unlefs warranted by the laws of the land. To fatisfy however the clamours of the foreign minifters (who made it a common caufe) as well as to appease the wrath of Peter, a new fiatute, viz. 7 Anne, chap. 12. a copy of which, very elegantly engroffed and illumined, was fent to lofcow as a prefent) was enacted by parliament, reciting the arre which had been made," in contempt of the protection granted by her majefty,

and in prejudice of the rights and privileges which ambassadors and other public minifters have at all times been thereby poffeffed of, and ought to be kept facred and inviolable." Wherefore it enacts, that for the future all procefs whereby the perfon of any ambaffador, or his domeftic fervant, may be arrested, or his goods diftrained or feized, fhall be utterly null and void; and the perfons profecuting fuch procefs, fhall be deemed violators of the law of nations and disturbers of the public repofe; and shall fuffer fuch penalties and corporal punishment as the lord chancellor and the two chief juftices, or any two of them fhall think fit.

But it is exprefsly provided, that no trader, within the defcription of the bankrupt laws, who thall be in the fervice of any ambaffador, fhall be privileged or protected by this act; nor fhall any one be punished for arrefting an ambaffador's fervant, unlefs his name be registered with the fecretary of state, and by him tranfmitted to the theriff's of London and Middlefex; exceptions, that are ftrictly conformable to the [0]

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rights of ambaffadors, as obferved in the mott civilized countries; and, in confequence of this ftatute, thus enforcing the law of nations, thefe privileges are now ufually allowed in the court of common law. Black. Com. 247.

The courts of common law have come to the following relolutions, upon application, on the faid act.

That it is not neceffary that the party fhould live in the ambaffador's house. 2 Stra. 2 R. Raym. 1524. Fitzgib. 200, pl. 12

When the party comes for benefit of the act, it is not enough that he be registered in the fecretary's office as a fervant; but muft fhew the nature of his fervice, that the court may judge whether he be a domeftic fervant within meaning of the act of parliament. Fitzgib. 200, pl. 12. 2 Stra. 797.

A trader, an annuitant, a juftice of peace, a menial fervant, au hired clerk, a perfon who receives no wages, a courtier, a meffenger, a land-waiter at the custom-houfe, denied the benefit of the act, Fitzgib. 200. pl 12 2 Stra. 797 Pract. Reg. C. P. 14. Barnes's Notes. C P. 264. 271. Rep & Caf Pract. C. P. 65. 134. 272. Barnard, K. B. 401. MSS. Rep. K. B. Mich. 31 G. II. 1757. Mafters and Manby.

The party muft ferve in the capacity he was hired. Barnard. K. B. 40r. Where a perfon does not execute the office, which he has his teftimonial for, but only gets himself entered in the lift to have the benefit of a protection. the court will not fuffer it. Barnard. K. B. 79.

Abftra&t of the charter of incorpora tion of the fociety of Artifts of Great Britain.

A

RMS; upon a field azure,

a brush, a chiffel, and a pair of compaffes compofed fretty, or: over them in chief a regal crown, proper: fupporters, on the dexter fide, Britannia; on the finifter, Concord; creft on a wreath, an oak branch and a palm branch in faltire, in the centre of which a chaplet of laurel.

The fociety of artists of Great Britain to confift of a prefident*, vice prefident, directors, and fellows, for ever hereafter to be a body politic and corporate, and to have perpetual fucceffion; and may have power, notwithstanding the ftatute of mortmain, to purchafe, have, take, acquire, receive, poffefs, enjoy, and hold to them, and their fucceffors, manors, mef. fuages, &c. in fee and perpetuity

for life, or years, or otherwife, and likewise authority to hold and enjoy lands, &c. which may be devifed, granted, or fold to the faid fociety; and also to purchase, hold, and poffefs, in mortmain, in perpetuity, or otherwife, to them, or in truft for them, and their fucceffors, for the use and benefit of the faid corporation, from any perfon or perfons, bodies politic or corporate, or otherwife, not exceeding the yearly value of 1000l. over and above all charges and reprifes, and to fell, grant demife, and difpofe of the fame for lives

or years.

Claufe. And to be able to fue and be fued, as other bodies politic or corporate in Great Britain.

Common feal as before delivered. With liberty to break, alter, or change the fame, from time to time, as they thall think fit.

Claufe. Directors to confit of twenty-four perfons, whereof the prefident, vice-prefident, treasurer and fecretary to be four; and that all perfons who, within fix months from the date hereof, fhall be chofen fellows by the first prefident, vice-prefident, and directors, therein after named; and in all limes after the said fix months, by the prefident, vice-prefident, direstors, and fellows of the faid body corporate, for the time be ing, thall be fellows of the faid fociety, and fo called during life, except by the ftatutes of the faid fociety removed.

Claufe And for the better execation of this grant, we do nominate, conftitute, and appoint, George Lambert, &c. as before delivered, until the feat of St.

Luke next, after the expiration of one year from the date hereof, and from thence till other fit and able perfons be chosen into their aid feveral offices and rooms.

Provifo. That the prefident, vice prefident, treasurer, fecretary, and the rest of the directors, be either painters, fculptors, architects, or engravers by profeffion; and that all perfons to be appointed directors, thall aid, advife, and aflift, in the bufiuefs of the faid corporation.

Further Claufe. Liberty to the faid corporation to hold meetings of themselves for the better improvement of the faid arts, &c. as often as it fhall be neceffary, within the city of London, or ten miles thereof.

Claufe. And that it fhall be lawful for the faid fociety, from time to time, to nominate and choose, once in every year, fit and able perfons, being members thereof, to be prefident, vice-prefident, treafurer, fecretary, and directors, to continue feverally, until St. Luke's day, next after the expiration of one year from the time of their respective elections, if they fhall fo long live, or not be removed for juft caufe, and from thence till another be chofen. And in cafe of th: death, or removal of the prefident, vice-prefident, treasurer, or fecretary, and directors, to choose able perfons to fill up such office; and the perfon or perfons fo chofen, to continue till the expiration of one year, for which the faid directors fhall be then chofen.

Claufe. And in cafe of the abfence of the prefident and viceprefident, upon any day upon [0] 2

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which a meeting of the fociety had been before appointed, then it thall be lawful for the directors, then and there affembled, being of the number of fixteen or more, to elect among themselves a perfon to be vice-prefident for that meeting only; which vice-prefident, fo elected, fhall have the fame authority, in all refpects, as if the prefident or vice-prefident were actually prefent.

And if it fhall happen, that the election of the prefident, or other officers, cannot be perfected on the feast of St. Luke, that they may arpoint any other day near the faid feaft of St. Luke for the perfecting thereof, which fhall al ways be by ballot, and fo from day to day till compleated.

Further Claufe. Liberty to the faid prefident, &c. to affemble together in London, or ten miles thereof, as the prefident fhall ap. point, by fummons, or notice, which he is hereby impowered timely to iffue for, that purpofe; and, when met, thall have power to make ftatutes, bye laws, and ordinances, neceflary and expedient for the government of the faid fociety and every member thereof, which statutes, &c. not being repugnant to the laws and ftatutes of this realm, thall be effectually observed and kept, and to do all other things concerning the revenues thereof.

Provifo. No bye-law, ftatute, or ordinance, fo made by them, fhall be binding upon the faid fociety, until the fame thall have been read over and approved of by the majority of the prefident, vice-prefident, directors, and fellows, affembled together for that purpofe.

Some account of the nuptials of the Prince of Afturias with the infanta Louifa of Parma; and of the archduke Leopold of Auftria with the infanta Maria Louifa of Spain.

N the 3d of July 1765. in the evening, the prince's Doana Louifa, infanta of Parma, future fpoufe of the prince of Afturias, made her entry into the city of Genoa with a very numerous füite, and escorted by a company of the duke of Parma's horfe guards. As foon as the paffed the firft gate of the fuburbs, fhe was faluted by for pieces of cannon; and when the appeared in fight of the port, by his majefty's fhip the Centurion, commodore Harrison, and the Guadaloupe, the honourable captain Ruthven, each with twentyone guns. The fame evening the princefs received the republic's deputation of fix gentlemen and fix ladies; and the next day the was complimented by almoft all the nobility of both fexes. On the 5th, in the evening, the princess, took an airing on the fea with two of the republic's gallies; and on paffing by his majefty's thips Centurion and Guadaloupe, was faluted with twenty one guns from each fhip.

On the 17th, about three in the afternoon, the Spanish fquadron, with the infanta Maria Louifa of Spain, future fpoufe of the archduke Leopold of Auftria, entered the port of the fame city, under the discharge of twenty-one pieces of cannon from each of the English fhips under commodore Harrison, and of 101 from the

city.

eity. The mafter of the ceremonies to the republic immediately went on board the admiral's fhip, to receive the orders of her royal highness, who informed him the fhould continue that night on the water, and make her entry the next morning.

The princefs, on her landing, went to the palace where the prin cels Louifa of Parma refided. The two princeffes embraced each other with the greateft cordiality. The princefs of Spain then retired to drefs, and appeared again about eleven, when the received the ambaffadreffes of France and Spain, who were presented to her at the teccader, that is, immediately after the toilet.

She was then conducted to the palace of Doria, where the was refigned by the commiffioners of the court of Spain into the care of the commiffioners appointed for that purpose by the court of Vienna. The hall where this ceremony was performed was magnificently adorned, and was divided into two apartments, feparated by a table covered with crimfon velvet fringed with gold; one of which was occupied by the Spanish, and the other by the imperial commiffioners. Count de Rofenberg was the head commiffioner from Vienna.

After this ceremony, the archduchefs was conducted to the palace of Spinola, and afterwards dined with the princefs of Afturias, by whom he was likewife accompanied in the evening to an opera.

On the 23d, the two princeffes took leave of each other, and at feven in the morning the archduchefs fet out for Infpruck, where

the emperor and emprefs, the king of the Romans, the archduke Leopold, and the two eldest archducheffes had repaired to meet her, accompanied by the lords and ladies fent from the court of Vienna to receive her, and was faluted on her leaving the town by one hundred and one guns.

On the 24th in the afternoon the princefs of Afturias embarked in admiral Navarro's barge, which was fteered by the admiral himself, and followed by all the barges and boats belonging to the Spanish fquadron, and by all the boats of the town, which were filled with peo ple, whofe curiofity led them to be fpectators of the ceremonies on this occafion. As foon as the princefs had got into the barge, fhe was fa luted with an hundred and one guns fired from the walls of the city; and upon the appearance of her barge in fight of his Britannic majefty's fhips Centurion, Thames, Guadaloupe, and Vulture floop, with twenty-one guns from each; and the centurion being dreffed, immediately afterwards, let fly all her colours. As foon as the princefs was on board the admiral's fhip, the was faluted with a triple difcharge of twenty-one guns from all the fhips of the Spanish fquadron." Early the 25th inftant, the fleet got under fail, but they were all in fight the afternoon following.

The two princeffes made very confiderable prefents of diamond rings, aigrettes, gold watches, and pictures fet with diamonds, to all the gentlemen and ladies deputed by the republic to attend. them during their ftay, as likewife to the respective confuls and viceconfuls; and in general to all

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