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GEORGIA GAZETTE.
Number 21.
L O N D 0 N, April -3.
vi HIS day’s Gazette contains addrefles from
e! the county of Warwick, the county of
Dorfet, and from the city of Oxford, on
■ Whitehall, April 23. The King has
been pleased to appoint Granville Leve
fon Earl Gower, to be Chamberlain of
his Majelty’s Household.
London , April 27. Tueiday’s Gazette contains addresses
‘to his Majeftyon the peace from the boroughs of Harwich
and Stamford, the corporation of Cledirow, and the town
ot Newcastle upon Tyne.
May 4. Saturday’s Gazette contains addresses on the con
clusion of the peace, from the city of Bristol, the focietv of
merchants adventurers of Bristol, the town of Winchelfea,
the borough of Chriit-Church, Hants, Trinity-College,
Dublin, the provincial synod of Dumfries, the burgh of
Inverness, and the burgh of Fortrofe.
It is reported, that when Mr. Wilkes was examined be
fore the Earl of Egremont, his Lordlhip asked him if he was
author of the North Briton April 25 ? He deftred to know
if he was to answer that quellion to his Lordlhip as Earl of
Egremont or as Secretary of State? His Lordlhip replied as
Secretary of State. Mr. Wilkes then pulling out a lift of
above 30 noblemen and gentlemen, told him, That from
tbrfe he received all the materials for the North Britcn, and that
Le only counseled them t and prepared them for the press.
May 5. YefFcrday the Directors of the EaU-India com
pany went in proceflion to St. James’s, and presented to his
majeftv a congratulatory add refs on the peace. They were
received very gracioully, and had the honour of killing his
Majesty’s hand.
Many of the Proprietors of the India company joined the
Directors yesterday in their proceflion to add ref; the King;
among them the Earl of Shelburne, the Earl of Sandwich,
Lord Howe, Sec. Four of the Directors did not go, neither
did they sign the address.
We hear from Paris, that the celebrated M. de la Conda
mine intends loon to set out for London to make his observa
tions on Mr. Harrison’s process of the difeovery of the lon
gitude.
May 9. On Friday last John Wilkes, F.fq; was brought
from the Tower of London up to the bar of the court of
common pleas. The court being seated, Mr. Wilkes ad
drefied the bench, and then Lord Chief J ll llice Pratt hood
up and delivered the opinion of the court tothe following
purport, arranging the matter in queltion under thde three
leparnte heads;
Fir ft, The legality of Mr. Wilkes’s commitment.
Secondly, The neccftitv for a fpecification of thole parti
cular paft'ages in the 45th number of the North Briton,
which have been deemed a libel.
Thirdly, Mr. Wilkes’s privilege as a member of parlia
ment.
In regard to the firft, his Lordlhip remarked that he
would conlider a secretary of Hate’s warrant through the
whole affair as nothing superior to the warrant of a common
jultice of the peace, and that no magistrate had in reality a
right ex of'.cic to apprehend any person, without dating the
particular crime of which he was accufcd, but at the lame
time he observed there were many precedents where a nice
combination of circnntftances gave lo strong a fulpicion of
lasts, that though the in a giiiratc could not be juftified rv
oficio % he w r as neverthele's supported in the c f mmitment,
even without receiving any part’cnlar information for toe
foundation of his charge. Ihe word cnarge lor. Lordlhip
took notice was in general much mifutuierllood, and did not
sitean the accusation brought against any p- rlbn taken up,
THURSDAY, August 25, 1763,
but his commitment by the magistrate before whom he
might be brought. Upon the whole of this point, accord
ing to the customary rule, which had been for a series (f
years observed by the luges of the law, even in the reign of
mil* CCOn< ?’ w^en matter was so frequently con
telted, his Lordlhip was of opinion that Mr. Wilkes’s com
mitment was not illegal.
In relation to the next article, which required a fpecifica
tion of the particular passages in the 45th North Briton,
which were deemed a libel, his Lordship took notice that
the insertion of thele paflhges, so far as they related to the
point in queltion, was not at all necessary, for even fuppof
lngthe whole of the 45th number of the North Briton had
beui infer ted in the body of the warrant, yet it by no means
came under his Lordlhip’s cognizance at that time ; for the
matter in confidcration then was, not the nature of the of
fence, but xhe legality of the commitment—-the nature of
thy 0 Ire nee not rclting in the bofotn of a judge, without the
alii fiance of a jury, and not being a proper fubjeft of inquiry,
till regularly brought on to be tried in the cullomary way (ft*
proceeding.
With refpecVto the third and last point. How far Mr.
W ilkes had a right to plead his privilege as a member of
parliament, my Lord Chief Jultice remarked, that there
were but three calcs which could poflibly affect the privilege
of a member of parliament, and these were Treason, Felo.
nv, and the Peace. The peace, as it is written in the in
ilitutes of the law, his Lordlhip explained to fignify a hrcaclj
oft W—peace; he remarked, that when the seven bilhopi
wertAnt to the Tower, the pica which was uled when th<*
spiritual Lords contended for their privilege, was, that thejr
had endeavoured to Hillurb the peace. This, at that arbi
trary time, was judged lufHcient to forfeit their privilege;
hut remarked his Lordlhip, out of the four judges then up
on the bench, there was but one honest man; that was
Bowel, and he declined giving any opinion. This great
and good man then answered, that the privilege of parlia
menflhould be held sacred and inviolable, and as there w re
but three particular cases, in which that privilege ‘was for
feited, it only remained to examine how far Mr. Wilkes’s
w'as endangered. Mr. Wilkes flood accused of writing a
libel; a libel in the sense of the law was a high misdemea
nor, but did not come within the deferiprion of treason, fe
lon vp or breach of the peace; at moll it had but a tendency
to diilurb the peace, and consequently could not be fulfici
ent to dcm troy the privilege of a member of parliament.
Whereupon Mr. Wilkes, in conlequence of his being a
member of parliament, was difeharged from confinement.
Friday lull, at tour o’clock in the morning, a terrible lire
broke out at the house of the Right Hon. Lady Yifcountefs
Dowager Molciwo r tli, in Little Brook-street, Grofveno.-
square, which burnt furioufly for fome time, and at length
inti rely conlumed the lame. Lady Molefworth, and two of
her daughter.., who lav in the room with her, were unhap
pily burnt to death, and another of her daughters jumped
out of a window', and broke her thigh, which we are in
formed was obliged to be cut off yesterday.. The Govcmefs
to the young ladies was likewise burnt, and one of the inaid
lervants jumped out of a tu*o pair of flairs window, but
pitching on the spikes of the iron rails, was immediately
killed. A footman also threw himfelfout of the window,
a:ui fell into the area, and was carried to the hospital,
where he lb< n after died. Other of the &rvant> are laid to
I<J miffing.—lt is reported the lire broke out in Capr.
M^elworth’s apartment, occalioned by bur&ing a candle all
nigh; in the room. The Captain was saved by getting over
a wall bv lielp of a ladder. It was near half an hour befon*
any engines came, as the watchmen were gone off their
lL.nds, mid llic ltcond liver and garret* were in flames b^-