BtStokwey OF7E ER Oe FE: 
and positive answer, within fifty- 
four hours. 
Lord Northesk departed accord- 
ingly for London, and was intro- 
duced, by lord Spencer, to the king, 
But no answer being returned to 
the message, and information being 
brought to the fleet, that the na- 
tion at large highly disapproved 
of their proceediags, great divisions 
took place among the delegates, 
and several of the ships deserted 
the others, not, however, without 
much contest and bloodshed, ‘The 
mutineers, despairing, now, of ace 
complishing their designs, struck the 
red flag, which they had hoisted 
as the signals of mutiny, and re- 
stored a free passage to the, trade 
of the metropolis. Every ship was 
now left at its own. command, and 
they all gradua!ly rewurned to obe- 
dience, though, on board of some, 
violent struggles happened between 
the mutineers and the loyal parties, 
The principal conductor of the 
mutiny, Richard Parker, was seized 
and imprisoned, and, after a solemn 
trial, that lasted three days, on board 
of the Neptune, he was sentenced 
to death. He suflered with great 
coolness and intrepidity, acknow- 
ledging the justice of his sentence, 
and expressing his hope, that merey 
might be extended to his associates. 
But it wes judged necessary to make 
_ public examples of the principal and 
most guilty, who were accordingly 
tried, and, after full proof of their 
criminality, condemned and exe- 
cuted. Others were ordered to be 
whipped ; but a cynsiderable num- 
ber, remained under sentence of 
death till after the great victory ob- 
tained, over the Dutch fleet, by ad- 
miral Duncan: when his majesty 
_ gent a general pardon to those un- 
_ happy men; who were, at that pe- 
[217 
riod, confined on’ board a_prisone 
ship in the iver ‘Thames, 
Inthe mean time, this dangerous 
mutiny had been a serious object of 
attention in parliament. On the 
first-of June, a message was delivere 
ed from the king to both houses, to 
give them formal notice of the 
event, and to request they would 
adopt the necessary measures for 
the public security, and particularly, 
to make more effectual provision 
for the prevention and punishment 
of attempts to excite mutiny and 
sedition in the, navy, of to, se 
duce individuals in the sea or land 
service from their duty and alle~ 
giance, 
A bill was accordingly proposed 
by Mr. Pitt, the purport of which 
was, that persons who should en- 
deavour to seduce either soldiers or 
sailors from their duty, or instigate 
them to mutinous practices, or com- 
mit any act of mutiny, or form any 
mutinous assemblies, should, on con- 
viction, be deemed guilty of felony, 
and suffer death; the duration of 
the act was limited to one month 
after the commencement of the next 
session. ‘lhe propriety of such a 
law, in the present conjuncture, ape 
peared so evident, that it passed by 
an unanjmous vote on the third of 
June. > > 
Another motion was then made, 
by, Mr. Pitt, to prevent all commns 
nication with the ships that should 
be in a state of mutiny, and to 
enact, that if, after the king’s pro- 
clamation, any offe should volun- 
tarily continue in such ships, they 
should be declared mutinous and 
rebellious, their pay should cease, 
and they should forfeit that which 
was due to them. 
The severity of that part of the 
bill, which restrained ail intercourse 
with 
