1800, | 
the fact, was fentenced to have his right 
hand burned off, to be impaled alive, in 
the prefence of the army, and there to re- 
main till devoured by birds of prey. Three 
' fhieks, who were acquainted with his in- 
tentions, and did not impart them, were 
alfo fentenced to fuffer death by decapita- 
tion. Several thoufand Greeks, Copts, 
and Syrians, are faid to have joined Me- 
nov, and the utmoilt exertions are making to 
fortify Cairo, and place Alexandria, Abou- 
kir, Rofetta, Damietta, and the whole coaft 
of the Delta, in a ftate of defence. 
SWITZERLAND. 
We learn from Berne, Auguft the 8th, 
that upon a meflage of the Executive Com- 
miflion of the 7th of Aucuft, (tating, that 
the prefent fituation of the public refources, 
as well as the neceflity of preparing a new 
Conftitution, imperioufly demands a re- 
du&ion of the Legiflative Body, the Grand 
Council, after having declared urgency, 
refolved, in the firft-place, that the Legif- 
Jative are adjourned,——2d, In their place 
is eitablifhed a Legiflative Council of 43 
members,—3d. To. form 
the Executive Commiffion, in the {pace of 
24 hours after the receipt of the prefent 
decree, was to proceed to make choice of 
33 members from the c-devant Legifla- 
ture.—4th, Immediately after having con- 
voked them, the Executive Commiffion 
thould refign their powers into their,hands, 
and the members who coinpofed it take 
their places in the Legiflative Council. 
‘The refolutions were all agreed to by the 
Grand Council, with the fingle oppofition 
of a miller of Zurich; but they were 
warmly oppofed in the Senate, and refer- 
red for inveitigation to a committee, -who 
were charged to make their report in the. 
morning. ‘This delay did not, however, 
fatisfy the Executive Commiffion, who 
required the immediate acceptance or re- 
jection of the refolution. In the courfe of 
the afternoon, the nomination of the eight 
members who were to be chofen for all 
Helvetia took place. The next day they 
elected the feven members of the new Ex- 
ecutive Council. The greateft trangquil- 
lity prevailed during the who’e tranfaction, 
and even the cuftomary courfe of bufinefs 
was uninterrupted.. 
PORTUGAL. 
From Lifbon information has been re- 
ceived, that France has propofed an offen- 
five and detenfive alliance; that the French 
be admitted to the fame privileges as the 
molt favoured nations ; that no more than 
fix fhips of war belonging to any one of 
the Belligerent Powers be received at a 
time into the Tagus; and that Goa be 
ceded to France, who for fuch ceffion will 
State of Publie Affairs, in September, 1800. 
this Council, 
269 
give Portugal a tra& of land contiguous 
to the Brazils. The anfwer of Portugal 
has been, that the wifhes for peace, and is 
ready to negociate upon terms not incon- 
fiftent with her treaties with England, with 
whom fhe is determined to remain tn fri 
friendfhip and alliance. The Flora dnd Mi- 
nerva frigates have carried into Lifbon two 
Spanifh fhips from South America, worth 
20,0001. each; the Netley {chooner has car- 
ried in anotherSpanith packet worth2 5,000. 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
Whatever have been the nature of the 
communications between this country and 
France, we have reafon to believe that 
they are not unconnected with the negoe- 
ciations at Vienna. It is generally fup- 
poled that the ChiefConful has demanded as 
a prdéliminary from our minifters, a zavat 
arwmiffice ; and it is as generally thoughty,. 
that in order to pave the way for peaces 
the Britith minifters have expreffed their 
aflent to an armiitice, under certain con- 
ditions. - It muft be obvious to every one, 
that the advantage of an armiQice, which 
fhould give a perfect freedom on the feas, 
muit be wholly on the fide of the French: 
_ England can derive no benefit from it, be- 
caule there is at prefent no one refiriction 
on her navigation in any part of the world, 
On the 15th of September, in the even- 
ing, a.neutral veficl arrived at Dover from 
Calais, with eleven paffengers ; the veffel 
brought difpatches for government, proba- 
bly the expected anfwer of Bonaparte. 
Minifters have received intelligence from 
General Sir James Pulteney, from before 
the harbour of Ferrol, on the 27thof Au- 
gult, where the general fays he determined 
immediately to make a landing, with a 
view, if practicable, to attempt the town 
of Ferrol, being certain, if he found either 
the ftrength of the place or the force of 
the enemy too great to juftify an attack, 
that in the landing there wasno confiderable - 
rifk. The difembarkation was effected, 
without oppolition, in a fmall bay near 
Cape Prior; the referve, followed by the 
other troops as they landed, immediately 
afcended a ridge of hills adjoming to the 
bay ; juft as they had gained the jummit, 
the rifle corps fell in with a party of the 
enemy, which they drove back. He had 
to regret that lieutenant Colonel Stewart 
was wounded on the occafion, and has 
fince died of his wounds. Atday-break, 
on the morning of the 26th of Auguft, a 
confiderable body of the enemy was driven 
back, fo that the Britifh troops remaned 
in complete poffeffion of the heights which 
overlook the town and harbour of Ferral ; 
but from the nature of the ground, which 
was ficep and rocky, unfortunately this 
fervice 
