State of Public Affairs. 
fon, onthe 7thof September, captured a 
French frigate called La Flore, of 36 
guns and 255 men; fhe had been eight 
days from Bourdeaux, and was taken 
after a fearch of fevendays, and a chace of 
16 hours. 
Capt. Dixon, of his Majefy’s fthip 
the Lion, had the good fortune to fall in 
with four Spanifh trigates on the 15th of 
July, about 29 leagues off Carthagena, 
and after having brought them to a clofe 
action, which lafted nearly two hours, 
the enemy was totally defeated, and put 
to flight, leaving one of the frigates (the 
Dorothea) to her fate; he took poffefiion 
of her in the face of the three remaining 
frigates, diftant about two miles. It ap- 
pears that when the? Englith Captain firft 
bore down upon the enemy, he perceived 
that the Dorothea was difabled, and 
therefore made that a particular object of 
his notice, the reft of the frigates fepa- 
rated from her, inftead of keeping clofe, 
and they made their attacks feparatelw as 
they pafled the Lion. The Dorothea was 
fuppofed to have had 60 men killed or 
wounded, the Lion had only one man 
killed and two or three wounded. 
On the 27th of June, as the Captain of 
the Swedith frigate Troya was proceeding 
on his voyage from Maftrand with a 
convoy under his care, he was met off the 
North Fereland by an Englifh fquadron 
commanded by Commodore LAwForp, 
who, upon learning that the Swedith 
fhips were deftined for Portugal and the 
Mediterranean, ordered them into Mar- 
gate Roads to be fearched, under pre- 
tence of having iron, timber, and other 
-conmmercial articles on board, contrary 
to treaty. The Swedifh Captain {pi- 
ritedly refented this infult (as he’ con- 
ceived) offered to his flag; and it ap- 
pears that the Britith cabinet have fince 
given the moft pofitive affurance that no 
Swedifh convoy fhall in future be inter- 
«epted. 
A cartel for the exchange of prifoners 
is faid to be agreed upon between the 
French and Englith. The-number of 
French prifoners in England is about 
27,000; the Englifh priloners in. France 
are about 6000. 
A court-martial held on the mutineers. 
of his Majefty’s“thip the Defiance has. 
fentenced 19 to be hanged (recommend-/ 
ing eight to mercy), four to be flogged 
pnd tran{ported, one to be imprifoned tor 
ene year, and one acquitted. They are 
faid fo be-all Irifhmen, and were charged 
with the crime of {wearing to murder 
Monruty Mac. No, xxxVi, 
225 
their officers, and to carry the fhip inc? 
Brett. 
It is reported that one of the convoy of 
the Weft-India fleet has captured a veil 
having General Pichegru on board, who, 
with Barthelemi, and feveral of the ba- 
nifhed deputies, had made their efcape 
frem Cayenne. General Pichegru is fup- 
pofed to be on his pafiage to England. — 
Soon after the French had Janded on 
the coaft of Ireland the Britifh cabinet 
laid a general embargo upon all fhipping, 
which was enforced with fuch feverity as 
to ftup paflengers and parties of pleature 
on their way to and from Margate and 
other watering places. 
A proclamation was iffaed froga the 
Court of St. James’s, dated the 29th of 
Auguft, declaring that fuch Ports of the 
coaits of the Mediterranean as are occu- 
pied by the arms of the perfons exer- 
cifing the powers of government in 
France, or are fubje&i to the government 
of perfons atting notorioufly under their 
influence and direction, and efpecially the 
coafts and: ports of Genoa, and thofe of 
the territory of the Pope, fhall be confi- 
dered as in a ftate of hoftility with his 
Majefty ; and his Majefty’s fubjects and 
others are required to treat and confider 
the inhabitants and fubjecis thereof as 
his. Majefty’s enemies. 
It appears by an abftraét of the expen- 
diture incurred for the fervice of the year 
1797 lately publithed, that the national , 
expence to be defrayed by taxes and 1m- 
pofts upon the people, amounted in that 
year to more than one miilion of peunds 
every week ; the amount of the year was 
§2,105,608]. 18s. 2-d. Of this fum 
about eighteen millions was paid for the 
intereft of the national debt, including 
the fumas applicable to its reduction. 
The ordinary iervices amounted to near 
feven mulions. | 
The extraordinary fervices to mors 
than five millions. 
The navy about 14 millions. 
Among the many curiousjitems are the 
following : sf 
Foreign fecret fervige 138,223 
Clergy and laity of France 192,677 
To the Queen of Portugal 2475205 
Superintendance of Aliens 2,366 
Parliamentary penfions - 127,500 
Parliamentary falaries and.al- : 
_ lowances - ~ 24,606 
‘Penfions upon the hereditary 
yy dvevenue > - 275700 
Civli government of Scotland 108,307 
Exchequer fegs a. 35,050 
2F Marriages 
