L.c.2150: Newsletter received by Richard Newdigate?, 1692/1693 March 11

L.c.2150

London March the 11 (92 3)

Sir//

The house of Commons haveing sent up the last monney Bill did yesterday finish and send up alsoe the Bill of Indempnity which in the last they will in all probabillity doe this session and therefore haveing little other matter be fore them they Adiourned very Early where by a day or two more will put an end to this Grand Session of Parliament

A Great Councill was held on Thursday Night at Whitehall where the matter of Coyning of the half pence & farthings was be fore them whether to be made of Copper or Tin and upon & upon Debate it was referred to the Master of the Mint to give his approbacion which of the said two in less lyable to be Counterfeited

The Earl: of Portland lyes daingerously Ill and was yesterday twice let blood & tis hoped his Mallady will goe off

Stafford the Highwayman who was Carryed from Newgate to Redding assizes is Convicted there

Yesterday Morning was heared before the Councill the Affaier of a privateer takeing a Daneish ship laden with 12 large Masts for Men of War that though they pretended another voyage haveing Counter feited Bills of Ladeing yeat it was declared in favour of the Privateer to Retain her as prize

Some of the Kings horses are shipped

to Repaier to the several stacions in that Kingdom to preserve the Peat thereof against any that shall disturb the same An Express is sent to Admirall Aylmore to refitt the ships that were Damnifyed in the Late Storm and as soon as he can to reioyn himselfe with the Bilboa ffleet and persue his Intended voyage = Severall Bills are arrived from Ireland

Hague that at the Congress of the Allyes and severall of the Merchan^t Men are the Expiracion of 10 Daies -Netherlands 70000 on the Rhine 45000 in bee further Prorogued to October next

shipped off for fflanders & tis said tho'ugh his Maiestie has not declared the Day of his Embarquing yeat it will before the Expiracion of 10 Daies

Plimouth the 7 Instant yesterday came in here the Gecnoon Spy boat who in her passage fell in with a ffleet of 16 Sail of ffrench Merchan^ts Shipps ande^r Convoy of 3 Men ofWar and she took 2 of them on of which she run on shoar & Split her to peices the other she was forced to burn Wee have advice that Rear Admira^ll Aylmer is with some of his Squadron forced back into Torbay but cannot tell wha^t is become of the Bilboa ffleet being sepperated from them in a storm off of Ushant

Dartmouth the 2^d Instant yesterday the Spanish Expedicion Pacque^t boat came in here haveing mett with such a storm that they were forced to heave 5 of their Guns over boardWee hear that the Hampshire Man of War and some others of Rear Admirall Aylmers Squadron are put into Torbay much Dammaged in a late Storm and severall of the Merchant Men are Missing

Wee have Advice from the Hague that at the Congress of the Allyes it was agreed to act Offensively this summer

Wine and Brandy the other a small privateer which she took near the soundings Letters yesterday from Scotland say that the apprentices and Rabble of Edenburgh mentioned in my last have layd down their Armes upon promise of Pardon but a flying Pacquet brings an account that divers of the promoters are secured and will be Tryed for their Lives severall persons being Killed & the scotch Gentlemen here & ordered forthwith

agains^t the Common Enemy for which end they will have 90000 Men in the Spanish Netherlands 70000 on the Rhine 45000 in Piedmont & 60000 in Cattalonia But it seems the ffrench design to make the Grand Push in Piedmont by ffileing off soe many of thei^r troopes thither

Wee hear that the Parliment of Irelan^d which according to thei^r Last Prorogation were to sitt on the 6 of next Month will be further Prorogued to October next

Allready one Million 200000^li is Advanced upon the Act of 4^s in the pound includeing the 75000 to be appropriated to make good the Defect in the Poll Bill

Next week an Experiment is to be made before his Maiestie at Wolwich of a new Invented Bomb which being thrown out of a Mortar into a ship will blow her up Imediately

Wee had an account yesterday from Burlington in Yorkshire that a seaman belonging to the Sweepstakes Man of War coming on shoar there this week Impressed aman who had lysted himselfe in a ffoot Company and would have Carryed him on board upon which the Lieutenant shott him Dead whereat the sea Captain: being Incensed sent 30 of his Men to Impress all they Met with But the Countrey being allarmed thereat soon fforced them back to their ship-

Severall Badges for Messengers & Passes Counterfeited under the hands of

Severall Great Men are seized & I hear that aproclamacion will suddenly be Published offering areward of 500^li to any who shall discover the authors - Yesterday one Mrs ffrancis liveing in Westminster was seized by aMessenger who found in her Custody divers tresonable Letters & Papers for which she is Committed to Newgate = Cowes the 8th Instant yesterday afflushing Privateer of 12 Guns brought in here 2 ffrench Prizes one of 120 Tuns Laden with

since in my Last where of one is aMonney Bill for raiseing 100000^li in that Kingdom which is to aproved of in Councill and Signed here and then returned to be past into aLaw the next Sessions of Parliment- The King: designes to goe to Shereness on Munday = this Day the Commons mett and for want of bussiness Read a Bill about Hemp and fflax which they reicted upon a 2d Reading and then Adiourned The Lords have past the two monney Bills and were this day upon the Bill for Encourageing Privateers which they past with some amendments-

11 March 92/3