Stock. 89 88 EACH DAY's Price of STOCKS in SEPTEMBER 1756: ANKE India. South Sea S.Sezold S. Sea old S.Sea An.JS Sea An. 13 Ba. Anj3Ba. An. Ba. 3 per 3per Cent. 3per Cent. 13 Bank, In. Bonds Stock. 3A.iftS A.2d Sub new 1ft S. 2d Subfer Subfer. 20 Subfer. Cents. India An. 901 ago 891 1751. An.1756. præm. B.Cir.prefLot Tick . s. d. Wind at 89 8春 891 882 8ga 95 475 348 4 10 0 prem. I 17 6 DEAL. S.by E. 90a 89a1 88 894 8914 88 89 95 Do Do Do NW 89 88 9cal 89 89 88 89 954 Do Do I 18 0 SE 891 88 90 89 88 898 88/ 888 891 901 892 891 666 89 88 89 95% Do Do Do Do 89 881 89 95 4Ss249 Do Do Do 894 881 89 95495a50 Do I 19 0 NW 88fa 897 89 al 891 881 95 Do Do I 18 6 NE 894 88 90a 89 88 89 95 Do 412 6 I 19 O ENE 89 885 90 89€ 88 891 88 8y 88 89 951 Do Do 118 6 North 90 891 89 95a Do Do 1 190 W by S 891 8ga $8 89 95音 505251 Do 1 18 6 ENE 89 89 95 508a51 Do Do SE 891 89 88 95 Do 4150 1 18 0 NE 16 117 1332 891 89 89 953a6 Do Do Do NEON 89 96 Do Do 1 18 6 NьW 904191 90 90 89 89 891 961 53$ 354 Do Do ENE 21 1171 1331 99% 91 90 90 891 89 891a 961 Do Do Do Do 22 91 89% 89 89 9611 Do Do Do SSE. 23 911 891290 96 at Do Do Do SSW 241 100199 91 90 99 891 89a 899 61 Do Do Do S W 8911 891 89$ 26 Sunday 961 543255 Do 1 196 CONTENT S. Ubftance of an interefting fpeech delivered to his majesty at the clofe of laft feffions 457 ib 458 New plan for a national militia -Objections to the bill presented last feffions -Rule by which the number to be raifed ought to be proportioned -The numbers in the propofed bill unequally laid ib 459 -Table, fhewing the fums charged on each county to the land-tax; the numbers to be raised in that proportion, and the numbers that were to have been raised by bill propofed 460 Rules prefcribed by the French to neutral hips, particularly the Dutch, to protect them from their men of war and privateers ib. 461 Curious obfervations on the effects of the late great ftorm, with fome conjectures on the caufes 462 Meteorological diary of the weather ib Account of the life and writings of the celebrated Linnæus concluded 463 -The general plan of his Philofophia Botanica 464 -Titles of the works that he has promifed ib Arguments in favour of the existence of coined gold after the Norman æra, and before the reign of Edzv. III. 465 -Curious Jewish inftrument in proof anfwered by Mr Porter, his majefty's ambaffador at Conftantinople ib -New difcoveries in Herculaneum 479 Defence of Adm. Byng; the charge againft him exhibited ib -Anfwered, article by article 480-1 -Remarks on the conduct of the ministry ib -His letter to the Admiralty which was fuppreffed 482 -His letter to the Admiralty that was mutilated 483 -His comparative lift of the English and French fleets ib 484 -His letter to the Admiralty on his difmiffion Particulars of the fiege of St Philip's, by an officer prefent during the whole time 485 Remarks on a fashionable manner of speaking 486 Hint for the reduction of the high price of corn POETRY. ib -His account of the battle -Auftrian acc. of the fame battle 494 -The furrender of the Saxons, a confequence of the defeat ib HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. Account of the robbery of Capt. Brudnel 495 Particular account of the late great ftorm in England, Scotland, and Irel. ib Letter from the K. of Pruffia to his mother after the late battle 496 Inftructions from the county of York to their representatives 497 Letter from Holland, fetting the friend- Births, marriages, det.ths, &c. 498 499 500 Preferments, bankrupts, bill of mor. :b 503 THE Gentleman's Magazine; For OCTOBER 1756. When the Money Bills were prefented, at May it pleafe your Majefty, OUR faithful Com- B mons, juftly fenfible of the bleffings they have enjoyed under your happy reign, in juft indignation at every attempt to dif turb it, have exerted C themselves to the utmoft of their abilities, to fupport your majefty in the juft war, which the ambition and perfidy of France have obliged you to enter into, by giving, for the fervice of this year, ordinary and extraordinary, ten millions, befides a vote of credit to answer D any unforeseen emergency. They beg leave moft humbly to faythey hope the fword you have fo brave. ly drawn, and they fo effectually fupported, will be entrusted only in brave, capable, and honeft hands; that fo the naval, the natural ftrength of England, will make a figure, will do fervice, as much greater, as it is exalted higher than ever before. E They apprehend; the prefent critical juncture convinces, that alliances on the continent, as they are unnatural, fo they must ever be prejudicial to F the true intereft of England; that there is no gratitude to be expected from, no dependance to be had on fuch allies: allies, who tho' faved, fupported, fubfifting by the blood and treature of this kingdom for more than an age, have taken the opportunity of the firft G profpect of refent prost, to break through every tye. Not difcouraged by the ingratitude of allies, nor the ambition of enemies, they have, with pleafure beheld the fword drawn to vindicate your honour, the honour and intereft of England; convinced, and proud to let all the world fee, that England is able to fight her own battles, to ftand by her own natural ftrengah, against all her enemies. Though ever attached to your majefty's perfon, ever at eafe under your juft government, they cannot forbear taking notice of fome circumitances in the prefent fituation of affairs, which nothing but the confidence in your juftice, your love to the people devoted to you, could hinder from alarming their moft ferious apprehenfions; and to whom fhould they make their fears known, to whom should they complain, but to their protector, their guardian, and their father?-Subfidies to foreign princes, when already burthened with a debt scarce to be borne, cannot but be feverely felt; an army of foreign troops, a thing unprecedented, unheard of, unknown, brought into England, cannot but alarm: But ftill they depend, ftill they confide in your majefty, and only beg leave most humbly to fay, they hope that their burthen may be lightened; their fears removed, as foon as poffible; and in the mean time, y that the fword of thefe foreigners fhall not be entrusted a moment out of your own hand, to any other perfon whatfoever. Mr URBAN, I Believe I may venture to affirm that moft people think a national militia rather more than defirable, for the fecurity of this kingdom; I am fenfible there are a few who affert it impoflible ever to have one either difciplined or ufeful, but an affertion of this kind I think fhould not be regarded. if the militia confits of freeholders ferving in perfon, or fending perfons to ferve for may be faid, them, I think, with truth it for many reafons, fuch a milita will, indeed, never be useful, and many ob jections may juttly be made to d New Plan for a national Militio. 458 g I will not take upon me to afcertain A what number may be fufficient, but fhould certainly apprehend a hundred thoufand would be fo, and render a rebellion never pollible, and alfo deter any neighbouring power from attempting an invafion; whereas for want of a national militia, if only threats of an invalion are given, a neceflary expence muft immediately enfue more than would fupport a militia for many years; to fecure ourfelves at home we naturally are prevented, and always mult be, from taking proper meafures for the fecurity of all or an places abroad, which therefore will always be open to the attack of an enemy. This I conceive to be our prefent cafe; to this the loss of Minorca was owing, and any advantage the enemy may gin in America; as the fecurity of this ifland was first to be regarded. To prevent our country being made the feat of war, thole iteps were moft neceffary that would make us fecure in the most expeditious manner, tho' at ever fo great an expence. own tions, because fame occur to me, which I fhall beg leave to mention. I am at a lofs to guefs from what calenlation, or rule of proportion, the numbers to be raifed in each county, &c. was made; I am fure it does not bear any proportion to what each county, &c. pays to the land-tax. I am perfwaded no one thinks the land-tax an equal charge, but am at a lofs how a more equal one can be ascertained. Were it easy to make this tax quite equal, I conclude it would be done, as it would double the produce; for this reason I apprehend what is by each county, &c, paid to the land tax, ought to be the guide, for want of a better, to fhew the number of men that ought to be raised in each county, &c. I apprehend it one very juft objection, to require a qualification in land, and that in their respective counties, for all who fhall act either as deputy lieuteCnants, or officers of the militia. It is not required for the regular forces, therefore I think it abfurd in the militia, where, while they remain in their own county, they will have no pay. Many men of fortune in Scotland and Ireland, refide in England, in houses they hire. Many men of large fortunes in England hire houfes, and live in counties where they have not any eftates. In all counties there are gentlemen who have been in the arity, and have fold out, who would be particularly useful in the militia, but by the propofed bill all these must be excluded from ferving their country, which feems not reasonable.. A correfpondent of yours in your D Mag. for lait Auguft, remarks on the conduct of the ministry. I can neither pretend to justify them in every step that has been taken, much lefs answer fome of the facts he aiferts, but think he, in fome things, feems mistaken, efpecially when he afferts, that by a bill propofed laft feffions, had that bill palled, we fhould have had a national militia of 62,680 men, cloathed, armed, and difciplined, for 175.1971. In this affertion I believe he is mistaken, as I apprehend the arming and cloathing fuch a number of men would have coft near that fum, if the arms and cloaths had been good. I am far from thinking any bill for a national militia can be fo propofed or amended, as that when it comes to be reduced to practice, fome alteration or amendments may not be found neceffary, or that it may not be liable to fome juft objections: therefore I muft fuppofe, that the bill proposed last fesfion was liable to very great ones, elle, had it not been rejected by the lords, who, as I understand, all feemed to allow fuch a bill defirable in a future feflions. I am the more ready to think the bill propofed liable to great objec E man Should a bill pafs, whereby a qualification in land is required, no would accept of a commiffion inferior to that for which his estate is a qualification; and without an additional eftate the longeft fervice or greatest merit can't enable him to rife in rank, which seems most unjust. To require a qualification in land, in fome counties, will, make it not poffible to find a competent number to act as deputy lieuteFnants and officers, for peers and members of parliament must attend the duty of the houses of parliament; all men in posts or employments must attend their duty, and inany gentlenen of large eftates never, or rarely, refide in the country. If therefore the militia is to be really ufeful, none of these. G ought to be officers in the militia; they may be nominated deputy lieutenants, and act as fuch when they fhall happen to be in the country, but a competent number |