Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/95

Rh The Lord Chief Justice of the King's-bench declared that court's opinion of the case of the bank note stolen out of the mail, and paid away by the robber, who received the full value of Mr. Miller, at the post-office at Hatfield, and then travelled on the same road in a four-wheel post-chaise and four horses, and at the several stages passed off several other bank notes he had taken out of the mail at the same time; all which, at the request of the owner, who sent them by the post, were stopt by Mr. Rice, cashier of the Bank, and an Action suffered to be brought against Mr. Rice, for recovery of the money; when, after very learned pleadings on both sides, it was most solemnly determined, 'That any person paying a valuable consideration for a bank note to bearer, in a fair course of business, has an undoubted right to recover the money of the Bank.' The pretext for stopping them at the Bank was, because they had been altered, the figures of 11, which denoted the date, having been by the robber dexterously converted to a 4.

This day being appointed for the execution of the 15 seamen, belonging to the Namur, the boats from every ship in commission, manned and armed, attended, and rowed guard round the Royal Anne. A little before 12 o'clock the prisoners were brought up, in order to be executed, and the halters were fixing, when they were informed his majesty had shewn mercy to 14, but they were to draw lots who should be the man that was to suffer death. Matthew M'Can, the second man that drew, had the unfortunate chance; and accordingly, at a gun fired as a signal, he was run up to the yard-arm, where he hung for near an hour. The reprieved were turned over to the Grafton and Sunderland, bound to the East Indies. It is said, the cause of the mutiny was only the dislike they had to quit the Namur, on board which ship Admiral Boscawen, when he took upon him the command of the intended expedition, hoisted his flag, and was to bring the crew of his former ship with him.

Monsieur Rene Brison, second Captain of the Prince de Soubise, who formerly made his escape from where he resided on his parole of honour, went into France, and was sent back by order of the French king, made a second attempt to escape out of Porchester castle, where he had been confined ever since his return. He had bribed the centinels on duty, but his attempt being suspected by the officers of the prison, they planted others at a distance, who immediately apprehended him, and carried him back to the castle.

A marble bust of Doctor Claudius Gilbert, formerly vice provost of Dublin college in Ireland, was set up in that college.—This excellent person, besides other valuable donations, bequeathed to that college a collection of books, consisting of 13,000 volumes, chosen with great discernment and care. His bust is placed at the head of these. It is the workmanship of Mr. Verpoil; and for the expression and elegance does great honour to the taste and skill of the statuary.

It was ordered by the lords spiritual and temporal, in the parliament of Ireland assembled, That the king at arms, attended I.