LONDON. 
329 
this view’, and in order to prevent an ufelefs expenditure 
of wheaten flower by the confumption of new bread, a bill 
was parted, in February 1800, prohibiting any baker in 
London or Weftminiler, or within ten miles of the Royal 
Exchange, from felling bread until it had been baked 
twenty-four hours, under a penalty of five pounds for 
every loaf fold. 
A moll alarming and extraordinary circumftance oc¬ 
curred at the theatre royal Drury-lane, on the evening of 
the 15th of May. At the moment when his majefty en¬ 
tered the box, a man in the pit flood up, and fired a piftol 
at him. The houfe was immediately in an uproar, and 
the cry of “ Seize him 1 ” burft from every part of the thea¬ 
tre. The king, apparently not the lead difconcerted, came 
forward in the box; and the man who committed the 
crime was conveyed from the pit. The indignation of 
the audience could not be tranquillized until after repeat¬ 
ed affurances that the culprit was in cuftody. On his exa¬ 
mination, he proved to be infane. He had been a foldier 
in the 15th light dragoons, and had received eight wounds 
in his head, from which it was believed his malady arofe. 
He was tried for the offence, on the 26th of June, and 
acquitted on the ground of infanity ; after which he was 
conveyed to a mad-houfe, to be taken care of. 
Soon after the prorogation of parliament, which tqgk 
place on the 29th of July, apprehenfions of tumult and 
riot alarmed many of the inhabitants of London. About 
the middle of Auguft a refractory fpirit had manifeffed 
itfelf among the felons in the prifon in Cold-Bath Fields. 
This was attributed to various publications on the ftate of 
this prifon, which had appeared a fliort time before : 
however this may be, their turbulence, at length, affumed 
a ferious afpeft; and, on the evening of the 14-th, when 
the bell rang as the fignal for locking up, inrtead of re¬ 
tiring to their cells, they collected together, appearing to 
have fomedefign in agitation. After a trifling refiftance, 
they were compelled to feparate, and fubmit to being 
locked up. Immediately they began the moft difmal ex¬ 
clamations of “ Mfirder ! Starving !” &c. which collected 
a confiderable mob round the prifon, who anfwered them 
with, loud fhouts. Thus encouraged, they continued their 
cries, befeeching the mob to force the gates and pull down 
the walls to releafe them. In this dilemma it was found 
neceflary to apply for aflirtance from the civil magiftrates 
and the military alfociations in the neighbourhood, by 
whofe exertions tranquility was at length reftored. 
The end of this year witnerted a confiderable degree of 
turbulence and difaffeftion among the people. A certain 
dangerous ferment, fanned by the blaft of ungrounded 
complaints, caufed hand-bills to be ported every-where, 
and worded in the moft feditious llyle. But the vigour 
and promptitude of the magiftrates, leconded by the firm- 
nefs and humanity of the volunteers, prevented the miftaken 
multitude from effecting any greater mifchief than the 
breaking of window’s and lamps ; and tranquillity was 
happily reftored without bloodfhed. 
Another attempt was made in this year, to get a peti¬ 
tion from a common-hall, received by his majefty upon 
the throne, but without fuccefs ; on which a refolution 
was parted, on the 9th of October, “ That whoever advifed 
his majefty to periift in refufing to his faithful fubjeCts 
free accefs, in thefe times of peculiar difficulty and diitrefs, 
is equally unworthy of his majefty’s confidence, and an ene¬ 
my to the rights and privileges of the citizens of London.” 
A court of common-council was held, on the 14th, 
when an addrefs, to the fame purport as the petition of 
the livery, praying his majefty to convene the parliament, 
on account of the exceflive price of every article of life, 
was agreed to. This addrefs was prefented to the king 
on the 16th ; but it was rendered unneceffary, by direc¬ 
tions having been previoufty given to fummon the parlia¬ 
ment for the difpatch of bufinefs. 
On the 3d of December, his majefty in council, in com¬ 
pliance with the requelt of the two houles, iffued his royal 
proclamation, exhorting all perfons, who had the means 
VOL. XIII. No. 894. 
of procuring other food than Corn, to ufe the ftrifteft eco¬ 
nomy in the ufe of every kind of grain, by abftaining 
from paltry, and reducing the confumption of bread in 
their refpeftive families ; and alfo, all perfons keeping 
lioufes, especially thofe for pleafure, to reftrift their con¬ 
fumption of grain, as far as circumftances would admit. 
Confiderable lofs and inconvenience was experienced by 
the underwriters and merchants of London, towards the 
conclufion of the year, by an unexpected embargo being laid 
on all the Britilh fhipping in the ports of Ruliia. No lefs 
than a hundred and five veffels were detained at Peterf- 
burgh, feventy-one at Riga, and a confiderable number in 
the other ports, the greater part of which were from Lon¬ 
don ; and all the feamen belonging to them were marched 
in fmall parties to a great diltance up the country. The 
diitrefs and anxiety of the wives and families of thefe men 
were, however, fomething alleviated by a liberal fubferip- 
tion, entered into by the principal merchants concerned in 
the Ruffian trade, for their relief, who alfo agreed to con¬ 
tinue the pay of the men till they ftiould be liberated and 
permitted to return. 
The lall event we have to notice at the clofe of the 
eighteenth century, as affecting the commerce of the city 
of London, is the commencement of the wet docks, in 
different places, for the greater accommodation of veffels 
employed in its trade. Nothing can fhow more Itrongly 
the neceftity that exilted for extending and improving the 
conveniences of the port of London, than the following 
ftatement of the increafe in the number of veffels, and 
their tonnage, engaged in the trade of the river Thames, 
in the courie of the eighteenth century 
Increafe in the coafting trade, 
•- in the foreign trade, 
Britilh veffels, 
— Foreign ditto. 
Veffels. 
Tons. 
4613 
9 2 7 > 55 ® 
- 587 
25 °, 35 Z 
1347 
149,861 
Total 6547 
U327.763 
At the clofe as well as at the beginning of his career, the 
hiltorian finds himfelf attended with equal difficulties. At 
fettingcut, furrounded with thick clouds of doubts which 
antiquity has blown over the fcarcity of events that are 
the objects of his labours, he can hardly fee his way ; and, 
in thefe obfeure paths and defiles, his fteps are vacillating 
and flow. At the end of his race, he is dazzled by the 
blaze of truth and evidence, by an innumerable quantity 
of brilliant fnfts which crowd upon him, and boldly claim 
the preference for a place in his annals; whill’c the embar- 
raffment of his courie is increafed by the difficulty of le- 
leftion ; and the danger of deviating from, or running 
againft, Handing opinions and unconquerable prejudices. 
Hurried and lartied along the fiadium by the fear of ap¬ 
pearing lax and prolix in relating with too much minute- 
nefs feveral rafts either too well known or too recent ; he 
feels, at the fame time, his aftivity retarded by the dread 
ot omitting momentous particulars, or of appearing ne¬ 
glectful of entertainment or carelefs of intereit. Perfeftly 
aware of the duties we have to perform, we (hall continue 
to beftow the moft fedulous attention upon events which 
have diftinguirtied the morning of the 19th century ; and 
proceed ftendfaftly in our career, with the hope of finding 
the deferred meed at the end, the approbation of the public. 
The eighteenth century began under the mayoralty of 
fir William Staines ; and the firft day, being alfo that of 
the union with Ireland, was ufhered in by the ringing of 
bells; at noon the Park and Tower guns were fired, and 
the new Standards, hoitted at the Iteeples of churches and 
ether public places, floated in the air over the vaft extent 
of the cities of London and Weftminrter. Yet thefe re¬ 
joicings were not without their drawback ; for the very 
high price of flour, being at that moment a caufe of alarm 
and diftrefs, the fale o'f fine wheaten bread was prohibited 
after the 2d of February, and houfehold bread forced 
into general confumption. Upon entering into office, fir 
L 1 Wiliiam 
