time, shall wilfully take down, deface, or alter, the accounts so put up, or cause the same to be done, he shall forfeit 40s. "No fisherman, &c. after the arrival of his vessel from fishing, shall destroy, or cast away, any of the fish, not being unwholesome, perished, or unmarketable, remaining unsold after market is over, on penalty of being committed and kept to hard labour for any time not exceeding two months, nor less than one week. "The provisions in this act touching the sale or buying of fish within the bills of mortality, and penalties for nonobservance thereof, shall extend to the parish of St. Maryle-Bone in Middlesex. "The prohibitory clauses in this act against contracts shall not extend to those made, or to be made, with regard to salt or dried fish, oysters, carp, or tench. "No information shall be received by a justice against any person for being concerned in any contract for buying up fish to be sold again contrary to this act; but the penalty for entering into such contract, shall be recoverable only, with double costs, in one of the courts of Westminster; one moiety to go to Greenwich Hospital, and the other to the prosecutor." The year 1763, was productive of a peace between Great Britain and France, Spain, and other belligerent powers, which was signed at Fontainbleau, and proclaimed at the usual places. A bill was at this time depending in parliament, not only for granting additional duties on wine, cyder and perry, but also to subject the makers of those articles to the excise laws, the court of common council, on the very day that peace was proclaimed, resolved to petition against it; and the next day they prepared instructions for their members to oppose this new attempt," as being inconsistent with those principles of liberty which had hitherto distinguished this nation from arbitrary governments." And so strenuously did the citi zens exert themselves to crush this destructive bill, that on 3 U 2 the the 28th of March, they petitioned each branch of the legislature separately against it; notwithstanding which it passed into a law. The act, however, was found to be productive of universal disturbance, not only in the cyder counties, but throughout the kingdom, and was, therefore, first altered, and afterwards repealed. A cavalcade of a different nature from any we have hitherto described, took place on the 19th of April. M. Querini and M. Morosini, ambassadors extraordinary from the republic of Venice to the court of London, made their public entry. This ceremony not being very frequent, we shall endeavour to convey to our readers some idea of it. The whole company assembled at Greenwich, whence they set off about twelve o'clock at noon, in a number of barges appointed for the purpose. Between two and three o'clock they landed at the Tower, and proceeded in the following order through the Minories, Leadenhall Street, Cornbill, Cheapside, Ludgate Street, Fleet Street, and along the Strand to Somerset House, which was appointed for their residence till their audience: Four king's under-marshal-men on horseback. Assistant master of the ceremonies, in a coach and six. Eight gentlemen of the bed-chambers, belonging to the ambas- Eight pages on horseback, two and two. Ten musicians on horseback, two and two. Kettle drum. Second master of the horse. 'King's state coach drawn by six horses, with the ambassadors, the Earl of Guildford, and the master of the ceremonies. King's second coach, drawn by six horses, with the two secretaries to the embassy. Six gentlemen of the privy chamber, in the next royal coaches. The coaches belonging to her majesty, the Princess Dowager of Wales, the Duke of York, Princess Augusta, Duke of Cumberland, and Princess Amelia, all drawn by six horses each. The ambassador's grand state coach empty, drawn by eight horses. The second coach empty, drawn by six horses. The third coach, with two Venetian noblemen, draw by six horses. The peers coaches and six. On the 21st, their excellencies were conducted in great state from Somerset House to St. James's, where they were received by the guards on duty, under arms. They were then conducted to the little council chamber by the Earl of Sussex, and Sir Charles Cotterel Dormer, master of the ceremonies. At the door of the guard chamber they were received by the Lord Viscount Falmouth, captain of the yeomen of the guard: at the drawing-room door by the Earl of Litchfield, captain of the band of pensioners; and at the great council chamber, where his majesty gave them audience, by the duke of Marlborough, lord chamberlain. M. Morosini addressed the king in Italian, and his majesty replied in English. Their excellencies then retired, and were admitted to an audience of the queen with the same ceremony; after which, they were conducted to a house in Great Ormond Street, which had been provided for them during their stay in England. We have purposely, in the course of this history, avoided all subjects tending to political discussions of opinion; abiding by this obvious determination, we cannot enter into the merits of the party contests which convulsed the state atmosphere at this period. But we are necessitated to observe, that a stretch of arbitrary power in issuing General Warrants to search for persons and papers was fully checked *. Such processes The rage of party was at this time more inflamed than ever; and the press teemed with political pamphlets on both sides, couched in terms of the utmost virulence and abuse. Of these the ministry seemed totally regardless, till the appearance of the forty-fifth number of the North processes were declared to be illegal, and lord chief justice Pratt, afterwards lord high chancellor, and a peer, by the title North Briton. A rule for an information was now granted by the court of King's Bench against the authors, printers, and publishers of that paper, which contained a severe commentary on the king's speech at the close of the session of parliament on the nineteenth of April. John Wilkes, esquire, member of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, was the supposed author of this performance. A warrant was therefore issued by the secretary of state for taking Mr. Wilkes, together with the printer and publisher, into custody. Accordingly, on the evening of the twenty-ninth of April, the messengers repaired to Mr. Wilkes's house for that purpose. On their entrance he excepted to the generality of the warrant, which was thus drawn up :-Charles Earl of Egremont, and George Dunk, Earl of Halifax, Lords of his majesty's most honourable privy council, and principal secretaries of state: "These are, in his majesty's name, to authorize and require you to receive into your custody the body of John Wilkes, esquire, herewith sent you, for being the author and publisher of a most infamous and seditious libel, entitled the North Briton, No. XLV. tending to inflame the minds and alienate the affections of the people from his majesty, and to excite them to traiterous insurrections against the government. And to keep him safe and close until he shall be delivered by due course of law, and in so doing this shall be your warrant. Given at St. James's, the thirtieth of April, 1763, in the third year of his majesty's reign. As Mr. Wilkes's name, with its proper distinctions, was not mentioned in this warrant, he threatened the first who should offer violence to his person in his own house, at that unseasonable hour of the night, upon any pretended verbal order which they might, or might not, have received for that purpose. The messengers therefore, thought proper to retire, and defer the execution of their warrant till next morning, when they took him into custody, and conducted him to the secretaries of state for examination. On the intimation of this event, application was made in the court of Common Pleas, then sitting in Westminster Hall, for a Habeas Corpus, which was granted; though by reason of the Prothonotary's office not being open, it could not be served till four o'clock in the afternoon. In the mean time, several gentlemen applied for admittance to Mr. Wilkes; which was refused, on pretence of an order from the secretaries of state, which order was never produced; and though it was well known that the court of Cominon Pleas had granted a Habeas Corpus, and Philip Car teret title of Earl Camden, delivered his opinion very decisively against the illegality of several proceedings at this time, for which teret Webb, esquire, was assured of the fact, Mr. Wilkes was committed to the Tower, where many of his friends were also refused admittance to him. On the third of May, he was brought to the bar of the court of Common Pleas, where he addressed himself to the judges on the illegality and hardships of his commitment in a very animated speech. The case was then argued by eminent lawyers on both sides; but the court, after making a polite excuse to Mr. Wilkes for the delay, (requiring further time to consider of the affair,) he was remanded to the Tower, till the sixth of May, with orders that his friends and lawyers should have free access to him. In the interim, orders were given, that Mr. Wilkes should no longer continue colonel of the militia for the county of Buckingham. On the day appointed, Mr. Wilkes was again brought to Westminster Hall, when after another spirited address to the court, lord chief justice Pratt, a firm and invariable friend to constitutional liberty, proceeded to give his opinion on the three following points, viz. The legality of Mr. Wilkes's commitment; the necessity for a specification of those particular passages in No. 45 of the North Briton, which had been deemed a libel; and his privilege as a member of parliament. These points were discussed by his lordship in a manner which greatly redounds to his honour: and his opinion having met with the approbation of the court, Mr. Wilkes was discharged. But before he had quitted the court, a gentleman of eminence in the law, stood up, and informed the lord chief justice, that he had just received a note from the attorney and solicitor-general, to desire his lordship would detain Mr. Wilkes till their arrival, as they had something to offer against his plea of privilege. This request, however, was not complied with; and Mr. Wilkes took his leave of the court. A short time after Mr. Wilkes had been released from the Tower, he caused a printing press to be fixed, under his own direction, at his house in Great George Street, Westminster, where he advertised the proceedings of the administration, with all the original papers; and the North Briton was re-published. In the mean time an information was filed against him in the court of King's Bench, at his majesty's suit, as being author of the North Briton, No. 45; and on the meeting of parliament, a message was sent to the house of commons with the information his majesty had received, that John Wilkes, esquire, a member of that house, was the author of a most seditious and dangerous libel. The examinations and proofs of the said libel, together with the measures that had been taken thereon, were also laid before the house in consequence of which, the North Briton, No. 45, was adjudged a false, scandalous, and seditious libel, and ordered to be burned by the hands of the common hangman. The operation of burning the North Briton, according |