upon him by the refidue of the impeachment of the commons ?"

The noble lords voted in the following manner:

Lords Douglas, Fife, Somers, Rawdon, Thurlow, Hawke, Bofton, Sandys, and Middleton; bifhops of Rochester and Bangor; lord vifcaunts Sidney and Falmouth; earls of Dorchester, Beverley, Warwick, and Coventry; marquis Townshend; dukes of Bridgewater and Leeds; archbishop of YorkNot guilty on all the questions.

Earl of Mansfield-Not guilty on all, except the 8th, on that guilty. Lord Walfingham-Not guilty on all, except the 9th.

Earl of Caernarvon, earl Fitzwilliam, and the lord chancellor Guilty on all, except queftions 3 and

10.

Earl of Radnor-Guilty on the ift, 2d, 8th, 9th, 13th and 14th, Not guilty on all the reft.

Earl of Suffolk-Guilty on the 1ft, 2d and 4th; Not guilty on the 3d. Retired.

Duke of Norfolk-Guilty on the ift and 2d. Retired.

The number of bishops who entered in the proceffion was nine; of thefe, three gave their votes: the others waved their privilege on this occafion. The peers who were managers, alfo declined voting.

Thofe of their lordships who did not vote, stood near the throne unrobed.

Mr. Cowper, the clerk, having collected the votes, gave the numbers to the lord chancellor. His lordship faid-" My lords, and gentlemen of the houfe of commons, Warren Haftings, efq, has been acquitted of the charges of high crimes and misdemeanors, which have been preferred against him, by a large

majority of the peers.-Call in Mr. Haftings."

Sir Francis Molyneux went from his feat to conduct Mr. Haftings to the bar.

Lord Chancellor." Mr. Haftings, the house of lords, after a very minute investigation, have acquitted you of all the charges of high crimes and misdemeanors, preferred against you by the commons, and every article thereof; and you and your bail are difcharged, upon your paying your fees."

Mr. Haftings bowed very respectfully, and retired.

Thus has ended this impeachment, which, for length of time, has exceeded any trial in the hiftory of the world, having lasted seven years and three months.

Dublin, April 30. On the 23d inftant, the rev. William Jackfon appeared at the bar of the court of King's bench, to take his trial for high treafon. The indictment charged him with two fpecies of treafon, namely, compaffing the king's death, and adhering to his enemies, and stated 14 overt acts.

The attorney-general opened the profecution on the part of the crown, and proceeded to fubftantiate the charges laid in the indictment; for which purpose he called

Mr. Cockayne, an attorney of London, who depofed, that he had been for years the law-agent and intimate friend of Mr. Jackfon, who, a few years ago, went to France (as the witnefs understood, to tranfa&t fome private bufinefs for Mr. Pitt) where he resided a confiderable time. Soon after his return, Mr. Cockayne faid he called on him, and told him, in confidence, that he had formed a defign of going to Ireland to found the people, for the purpose of procuring a fupply of provifions,

&c.

&c. for the French, and requested him (the witnefs) to, accompany him. Having accepted the invitation, he immediately waited on Mr. Pitt, and difcovered to him the whole of Mr. Jackfon's plans. The minifter thanked him for the information, and hinted, that as the matter was to become a subject of legal investigation, it would be necellary for him to fubftantiate the allegations; but this Mr. Cockayne wifhed to decline, on the principle that, if the prifoner hould be convicted of high treafon, he fhould lofe by it 300l. in which fum he was then indebted to him. This objection was foon removed by Mr. Pitt agreeing to pay him the money, provided he would profecute to conviction; and the witnefs accompanied Mr. Jackfon to Ireland for the purpose of making himself acquainted with his proceedings. Shortly after their arrival in Dublin, where they lived together, the prifoner expreffed a wifh to be introduced to Mr. Hamilton Rowan, who was then confined in Newgate, and, at length, through the interference of a friend, he obtained an interview, at which Mr. Cockayne was prefent. In the courfe of converfation, the prifoner delivered two papers to Mr. Rowan, for the purpofe of convincing him that he was a perfon in whom he might confide. From that time an intimacy took place between them; the witnefs always accompanied Mr. Jackfon in his viûts to Mr. Rowan, and conftantly took a part in their converfation. They agreed, he faid, that a perfon fhould be fent to France to procure a force to make a descent on Ireland, and counsellor Wolfe Tone was mentioned as a fit perfon for that purpofe, who at first appeared to ac

quiefce, but afterward declined the office. Dr. Reynolds was then propofed by Mr. Rowan, but objected to by the prisoner, as he did not understand the French language. It was, however, at length agreed, that the doctor should undertake the embaffy; but in a fhort time he alfo refufed to enter on the businefs. On this it was agreed that Mr. Jackfon fhould write feveral letters, which were directed for a Mr. Stone, of the firm of Lawrence and co. London. Thefe contained inclofures for houses at Hamburg and Amfterdam; and fome of them, to the French agents, defcribed the fituation of Ireland at the time, invited an invafion, and pointed out the proper places to land. These letters having been fent to the poft-office, the witness went to the fecretary, and informed him of the fubject of them, on which they were detained. The plot, matured thus far, having been difcovered, the prifoner was taken into cuftody.

Such is the fubftance of the examination and cross-examination of Mr. Cockayne, which, together with the documentary proofs alluded to, were the only evidence adduced. He appeared very much agitated and confufed throughout the whole of the investigation.

Mr. Curran and Mr. Ponfonby exerted their well-known abilities in behalf of the prifoner. The former treated the conduct of Mr. Cockayne as extremely fufpicious; and fuggefted to the jury, that his evidence was entitled to very little credit.

The prime ferjeant replied; and lord chief juftice Clonmel delivered a very impartial charge to the jury, who retired at forty-five minutes after three in the morning, and at

half

half paft four brought in a verdict of Guilty, but recommended the prifoner to mercy.

6

The chief juftice enquired of the jury, if they had any doubts on their minds that led them to fuch recommendation?-The foreman anfwered immediately, No, my lord.' The judges Clonmel, Boyd, and Chamberlain, confulted for a few minutes. The chief juftice then addressed the jury, Gentlemen, you have acquitted yourselves with honour, and a confcientious regard for juftice. It is more than a century fince this land has been curfed with fuch a crime, and we truft your verdict will operate in preventing a repetition of it. Your recommendation fhall be laid before government.'

Mr. Jackfon heard the verdict with much apparent compofure, and was remanded to prifon.

This day, at eleven in the morning, Mr. Jackfon was brought up to the court of King's-bench, where an arreft of judgment was to be argued by his counsel.

A few minutes after Mr. Ponfonby had commenced a most ingenious plea, the prifoner, who was ftanding in the dock, was feized with violent emotions, fuch as the drawing up of his fhoulders, froth ing at the mouth, &c. and fhortly afterward fell down, and expired on the spot.

The next day, the coroner's inqueft fat on the body, when Mr. Gregg, the keeper of Newgate, depofed, That he had feen Mr. Jackfon at a late hour on Wednesday night, when he was apparently well, and between nine and ten the following morning, when his appearance was much altered. No perfon was with him during the night but an old woman who had

attended him during his confinement. Mrs. Jackfon (his wife) breakfafted with him in the morning. He complained of sickness in the ftomach, which he accounted for by his having taken tea for his breakfast, which he faid always difagreed with him. He informed the witnefs that he rofe at three o'clock, from mistaking the time, and fearing to delay the court. The witness accompanied him in a carriage from Newgate to the FourCourts. He vomited several times, and a frothy fluid iffued from his mouth, which he removed with his handkerchief. He expreffed great uneafinefs at the curiofity of the populace to fee him in the carriage.

Surgeons Hume and Adrien having opened the body in the prefence of the jury, and infpected the interior coats of the ftomach, were next examined: they depofed, that an inflammation of the ftomach, occafioned by the irritation of fome acrid matter, was the cause of his death.

Counsellor Powell, who attended on the part of the heir at law, stated to the jury two points for their confideration:-First, whether it had been fully ascertained that Mr. Jackfon has been poifoned? In his opinion it had not; but if the jury held a contrary opinion, they were then to determine how, or by whom the poifon had been adminiftered? He had heard it rumoured, that Mr. Jackfon intended to give information of high crimes and mifdemeanors against perfons in the city of Dublin; fuch perfons might be fufpected of adminiftering the poifon (if it was adminiftered) for their own fafety; but there was not the leaft caufe of fufpicion, that a man of his fortitude would be guilty of an act of suicide..

The

The jury withdrew, and after a fhort deliberation returned the following verdict: We find that the rev. William Jackfon died on the 30th of April, of fome acrid and mortal fubftance taken into his ftomach, but how or by whom administered, is to us unknown.'

On the 2d of May, his remains were carried from the undertaker's, in May-lane, in a hearfe, accompanied by twelve coaches, to the cemetery of St. Michan's, and there decently interred.

By the death of Mr. Jackfon before sentence was pronounced, his property, which it was faid amount ed to about 200l. a year, will be preferved to his family, and not efcheat to the crown, as it would otherwise have done.

MAY.

4. At eleven o'clock on Friday morning, at Spithead, a fire broke out on board the Boyne, of 98 guns, which continued with irrefiftible violence till five o'clock, when the magazine blew up. It was discovered in the after-part of the fhip, and is supposed to have proceeded either from a live cartridge from the mufkets of the foldiers, who were exercifing with fmall arms on the windward fide of the fhip, having lodged in the cap. tain's or admiral's cabin, and caught fomething combustible, or from the funnel of the admiral's cabin having been on fire, and communicated to the deck.

The flames burst through the poop before the fire was discovered. Fortunately, the greatest part of the powder had been fent on fhore three days ago, and, upon the first alarm, the cock was turned upon the grand magazine. The fore and aft hanging magazines contained 1795.

but little powder; the former exploded with very little effect.

When the fire broke out, there was a fresh breeze at S.W. and it being tide of ebb, the fhips. were riding with their sterns to the wind. Within half an hour after the commencement of the fire, the tops and all the rigging were in a blaze.

About twelve the tide turned, and the pofition of the flips became changed, but it was then too late to make any attempt, or even for boats to get near her. Previoufly to this, however, from the number of boats that went instantly to their affiftance, most of the crew, were faved.

On muftering the men taken into the different fhips, it appeared there were only fourteen miffing, of whom eleven are fuppofed to have perifhed: all the officers and warrant officers were faved.

All her guns were loaded, and as they became heated, went off, the fhot falling among the fhipping; fome of them even reached the fhore.

On board the Queen Charlotte, two men were killed, and one wounded, by the thot from the guns of the Boyne, as they went off in fucceffion.

It was upward of two hours from the first difcharge till all the guns had gone off. About two her cables were burnt, and the went adrift, the fire blazing through every port-hole. The fight, though at noon day, was awfully grand. The fhips to leeward of her having got under weigh to get clear of her, ran down to St. Helen's, and the drifted flowly to the eastward, her mizen-mafts and top-matts having fallen down before fhe began to drift.

About five o'clock the wreck was drifted by the tide farther on (C)

the