244 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797, 
of the fheriffs communicated to the 
livery in common hall affembled, 
on Wednefday the 12th inftant; 
and to inveftigate the real caufes of 
the awfuland alarming ftate of pub- 
lic affairs; and to adopt fuch mea- 
fures as may be expedient in the 
prefent conjuncture,’ I requeft of 
you, gentlemen, to inform them 
that I will mmoft readily convene a 
common hall any day in the com- 
ing week which may be moft con- 
venient to them (after the termina- 
tion of the feffions at the Old Bai- 
ley) for the purpofe of taking into 
confideration * the report of the 
fheriffs communicated to the livery 
in common hall affembled, on 
Wednefday the 12th inftant;’’ but 
that I deem it incompatible with 
my duty to affemble the livery for 
the purpofe of inveftigating the 
real caufes of the awful and alarm- 
ing ftate of public affairs: a propofi- 
tion too extenfive and unqualified 
to adinit of difcuffion in an affembly 
confeffedly not deliberative. Iam, 
gentlemen, your humble fervant, 
* Brook Watsox, Mayor.” 
6 To Meffrs. Thomas Reeve, 
John Elfee, and S. Miller.” 
The feamen on. board the fhips 
at Plymouth, who had fome time 
before declared themfelves in a 
ffate of mutiny, expreffed them- 
felves perfectly fatished with the 
conceifions made by the admiralty 
to their brethren at Spithead. 
From Lifbon, under the date 
April 14, the following remarkable 
circumftance is thus ftated: “ On 
Monday evening laft, a dreadful 
affray took place at Belem, between 
the foldiers of the twelfth regiment 
of light dragoons and our people. 
It began in a public-heufe, where 
two of the foldiers went to get 
fome wine. The landlord would 
not permit them to go into a room 
to fit down to drink it: this gave 
rife to a deal of abufe on both fides. 
At laft the landlord drew a knife, 
and {tabbed one of the foldiers, but 
fortunaiely not dangeroufly; the 
foldier knocked him down, and 
dragged him into the ftreet, where 
he beat him heartily. Our people 
feeing their countryman fo roughly 
handled, took his part, and pelted 
the English with ftones: this alarm- 
ed their comrades in the barracks, 
who fallied out, and drove the Por- 
tuguefe into the queen’s ftables, 
where they fuppofed the foidiers 
would not dare to follow them, 
and from the windows of which 
place they continued the pelting, 
and wounded an officer and a pri- 
vate. This enraged the'dragoonsfo 
much, that they drew their fwords, 
ftormed the ftables, broke down 
the doors, and laid about them with- 
out mercy. Our people, to fave 
themfelves, jumped out of the win- 
dows, and feveral of them are much 
cut and bruized. The Englifh took 
eight prifoners to the guard-houfe, 
from whence they have been re- 
moved to another prifon. They 
will be feverely punifhed ; and if 
they efcafe hanging, may think 
themfelves lucky, as a riot is confi- 
dered here as a greater crime than 
murder. In the heat of the battle, 
the Princefs Dowager of Brazil hap- 
pened to pafs by in her carriage, 
the windows of which were broke 
by the ftones thrown from the fta~ 
bles: her efeudiero (efquire) a man 
of great confequence, a fidalgo (a 
noble) a character confidered in this 
country as facred, being above the. 
reach of the laws, began to divert 
himfelf by horfewhipping the fol- 
diers: they immediately pulled him 
from his horfe, treated him with half 
a dozen 
