44] 
When the empress was taken ill, 
the present emperor was at Gat- 
china, 4 country palace, about 
28 English miles from St. Petees- 
burg. He reached the capital 
abvuteight in the evening ; and, 
immediately after his mother’s de- 
cease, was proclaimed before the 
palace in the usual form; and the 
whole court, which was there as- 
sembled in anxious expectation from 
the morning of the empress’s acci- 
dent to the moment of ber death, 
immediately took the oath of alle. 
giance to the new sovereign, as did 
also the four regiments of guards; 
and every thing passed with the 
greatest order and tranquillity. 
. Atthe George inn, North- 
20th. is 
amptony on hisjourney from 
Buxton to London, that respecta- 
ble veteran of the bar, Edward 
Bearcroft, esq, M. P. for Saltash, 
chief-justice tor Chester, and a 
king’s counsel; whose memory will 
be long and sincerely respeéted by 
all who had the honour of his 
_ friendship, or enjoyed the pleasure 
of his society. 
Mr. Bearcroft was an example 
ofindustry and perseverance at the 
bar. Many years he had hardly 
practice enough to support him 
with the severest ceconomy, and 
thought of relinquishing the law 
in despair; but, in time, his good 
sense and knowledge of the law 
excited confidence, and, till his 
hearing was affeéted, he was one of 
the most successful of its professors, 
particularly in cases were legal 
opinions were requisite. 
DECEMBER, 
This day the tide in every 
part of the Thames was very 
In Tooley-street the inha- 
3d. 
high. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
bitants were taken out in boats; 
and a large quantity of foreign 
wheat, upon the ground floors of 
the warehouses, waS much da- 
maged. 
BS The following mode of rais- 
ing the loan of 18 millions 
was proposed and recommended by 
the bank direétors on Wednesday 
last. One million was subscribed 
by the bank in their corporate ca- 
pacity, and four hundred thousand 
pounds by the direétors individu- 
ally ; and before the close of the 
books the first day, five millions 
were subscribed by difierent mer- 
chants and others, At ten o’clock 
.this morning the’ parlour doors at 
the bank were opened, before 
which time the lobby was crowds 
ed. Numbers could not get near 
the books at all; while others, to 
testify their zeal, called to the per- 
sons at the. books then signing, to 
put down their names for them, as 
they were fearful of being shut 
out. At about twenty minutes 
past eleven, the subscription was _ 
declared to be completely full, and 
hundreds in the room were re- 
luétantly obliged to go away. By 
the post innumerable orders came 
from the country for subscriptions 
to be put down, scarcely one of 
which could be executed. And 
long after the subscription was 
closed, persons continued coming, 
and were obliged to depart disap- 
pointed. It is a curious fa&, and 
well worth stating, that the sub- 
scription completely filled in fifteen 
hours and twenty minutes: Two 
hours on Thursday, six ditto on 
Friday, six ditto on Saturday, and 
one ditto and twenty minutes on 
Monday—fifteen hours, twenty 
minutes. 
The’ duke of Bridgewater ac- 
tually 
