CH ON TCT E. 5 
by Mr. Palmer, Comptroller Ge- 
neral of the Poft Office, relative to 
the agreement made by Govern- 
ment with him for the reform and 
improvement of the pofts, the fol- 
lowing effential fervices have been 
rendered by him to that revenue 
eftablifhment. 
' 1. ‘That his plan has increafed 
in afew years the revenue of the 
Poft Office, from 150,000l. to up- 
wards of 400,000I. per ann. 
2. That in confequence of the 
expedition, regularity, and fafety 
given to the pofts by his plan, a 
rther additional tax has been le- 
vied on letters of 250,000I. a year, 
and 60,000 a year for the fame 
advantages derived from his plan to 
travellers. 
3. And that he has reduced the 
expenditure of the eftablifhment 
in the proportion of the following 
comparative fcale, of grofs and 
net produce for the years 1724 
and 1793. 
Grofs produce, Net produce. 
1724 178.0711. 16s. 94 96,3391. 78. sd. 
1793- 627,5921. 19s. 391,508]. 15s, 11d. 
The law of the Tythe of Hops 
was clearly laid down in the court 
of Exchequer, in the long depend- 
ing caufe between the Lay Impro- 
priator and Hop Planters of the 
Farnham diftrict, viz. That tythes 
of hops are legally to be taken from 
the tenth bufhel, after they are 
picked, and not from the tenth hill 
fet out: and the court unanimoufly 
ordered the verdié ofa Jury, found- 
ed on a contrary idea, to be fet 
afide, and a new trial granted. 
Some prefents from the king of 
the ifland of Owhyhee in the South 
Seas, where Capt. Cook met his 
‘death, brought over by Capt. Van- 
couver, have been prefented to the 
King at Buckingham-houfe by the 
‘Duke of Portland; the principal of 
which confifts of two flate garments 
and an helmet, or crown. Of the 
former, one is wholly made of otter 
fkin, in a very ingenious manner. 
The other is of the cloth of the 
country, covered with feathers of 
birds, fo conftructed as by a fingle 
move of the hand alternately to 
difplay red or yellow. The helmet 
is of otter-fkin, covered with fea- 
thers in a very mafterly man- 
ner. 
12th. A plot for the liberty of the 
prifonersat Porchefter-Caftle, Portf- 
mouth, has been difcovered.- The 
following are fome particulars re- 
lating to that affair. A large hole 
had been dug under one of the 
prifons, and a paflage nearly com- 
pleted to the outfide of the walls of 
the caftle when an information was 
given. At a given time in the 
evening, after the prifoners were 
all locked up in their different 
apartments, it was agreed that the 
officers on guard, and a fufficient 
number of foldiers, fhould ruth in 
among them and difcover the pri- 
foners at work. This was done, 
and fome men were taken out of 
the fubterraneous paflage. Shortly 
after, an alarm was given in another 
quarter, and a prifoner was detect- 
ed making his efcape through a bro- 
ken part of the walls of the caftle. 
The prifoners, from this difappoint- 
ment, grew riotous amd very refrac- 
tory, and continued fo the whole of 
the night, keeping in lighted can- 
dles, finging republican fongs, and 
behaving in a diforderly and alarm- 
ing manner, fo much fo that it was 
found neceflary to fire fome ball- 
cartridges amongft them. This 
was attended with no other effect 
than procuring order and filence 
for a fhort time. On the next 
morning diforder and tumult again 
prevailed, the centinels were infult- 
A 3 ed 
