22 
Thurfday, before Judge Grofe and 
a fpecial jury. The profecution 
was led by Mr. Percival, in a fair 
and candid manner; and the de- 
fendant was as ably fupported by 
Mefits. Romilly and Vaughan.— 
The Judge gave a charge, and ina 
few minutes the jury found a ver- 
di& of Guilty on the third count, 
which was,—‘* Will the people of 
Birmingham fubmit to the treafon 
and fedition laws?” Binns’s trial 
is poftponed till next affizes; four 
only of the fpecial jury being pre- 
fent, and only fix others appeared 
in court who were admitted by 
the crown and defendani.. The 
conviction of Jones is the firft that 
has taken place under the late act. 
His fenténce is not yet known. 
12th, At another commen hall 
the report from the fheritfs was 
read; ftating, that having taken the 
earlicft opportunity of waiting on 
his Majefty at the levee, they had 
obtained an audience, and deliver- 
ed the meffage direéted by the li- 
very ; to which his Majefty anfwer- 
ed, “ That the address not being 
the addrefs of the city of London 
in its corporate capacity, he could 
not receive it on the throne; that 
the anfwer given by the Duke of 
Portland was by his Majefty’s de- 
fire; and that his Majefty repeated 
his readinefs to receive the petition 
of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and 
Livery, at the next or any other le- 
vee, provided the perfons prefent- 
ing it did not exceed the ufyal 
number of ten.” 
Two refolutions were then paf- 
fed, declaratory of the rights of 
the livery; and another was of- 
ered, which the Lord Mayor faid 
‘he could not, confiftently with 
his duty to preferve inviolate 
the rights of the livery, admit to 
oO 
a” 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1797* 
be put: the bufinefs: of the day 
upon which the livery were met 
being fpecified in the fummons if- 
fued to call them together, it was 
his duty to take care that no other 
bufinefs fhould be difcuffed.” Af- 
ter much altercation had taken 
place between feveral {peakers, the 
Lord Mayor ordered the infignia of 
office to be taken up, and the hall 
was of courfe diffolved; but not be- 
fore an unanimous vote of cenfure 
on the motion of Mr. Waithman 
was paffed on the conduct of the 
Lord Mayor for this unprecedent- 
ed attack on the deliberative rights 
of the livery of London in com- 
mon hall affembled. 
15th. The Prince of Wirtemberg 
arrived in town, waited upon the 
Royal Family at Buckingham-houfe, 
and paid his refpeéts to the Princefs 
Royal, his intended bride. 
A general and alarming mutin 
broke out on board the Channel- 
fleet, at Spithead. The crews un- 
animoufly refufed to proceed to fea 
unlefs their wages were advanced 
to thirty fhillings per month, and 
their allowance of provifions in- 
creafed. 
Mr. Colquhoun, in his treatife 
on the police of the metropolis, 
ftates the following curious fact : 
“There is a clafs of cheats, or 
female bankers, who accommodate 
barrow-women and others who fell 
fifh, fruit, vegetables, &c. in the 
ftreets, with five fhillings a day 
(the ufual diurnal ftock in fuch 
cafes); for the ufe of which, for 
twelve hours, they return a pre- 
mium of fixpence, when the money 
is returned in the evening, thereby 
receiving, at this rate, about feven 
pounds ten fhillings a year for every 
five fhillings they lend out. In con- 
templating this curious fyftem of 
| banking 
