RUSSIA. [213.] Edinburgh, May 12. By the fhip Earl of Halifax, just arrived from Archangel, at Hull, we learn, that, on Palm Sunday laft, an island in the White fea, called Niordolfkoi, chiefly inhabited by Oftiack Tartars, about fifty leagues from the mouth of the river Amuz, fuddenly split into feveral parts, which, retiring gradually from each other, formed as many diftinct islands, which feem as firm ly fixed as any continent whatsoever. The Imperial Academy at Petersburg bave fent four of their members to obferve what further effects may be produs ced from this extraordinary phenomenon, and, if poffible, to difcover whether it was owing to a fubterranean earthquake, which might have power to difunite, bat not deftroy, the constituent parts of a tract of country.”

The royal_affent was given to the fol-. lowing bills [161.]:

To thefe, by commission, March 27. Twenty-five public and twenty two private bills. The former relate to roads, or other matters of police. One of them is for limiting the exemptions from toll (granted by any act or acts, of parliament for repairing turnpike-roads) on account of cattle going to and from water or pasture; and one is to enable his Majefty to license a theatre in the city of Chefter. Only one is peculiar to Scotland, viz.

An act for continuing two acts, 6o Geo. Í. and 20° Geo. II. for laying a duty of two pennies Scots, or one fixth part of a penny Sterling, upon every Scots pint of beer or ale, vended or fold within the town of Burntifland, and liberties thereof, for increafing the public revenue of the faid town,

Two road-bills; one of them a road in England; the other for repairing and widening feveral roads in the county of Dumfries; and for converting the statutelabour within the faid county into money, and for applying the fame towards repair ing the highways within the fame county. And feventeen private bills.

To thefe, by commiffion,, May 16.

An act to revive and continue fuch part of an act made last fession, “for allowing the exportation of certain quantities of wheat and other articles to his Majesty's fugar-coLonies in America, and to the island of St Helena, and to the other fettlements belonging to the Eaft-India company; and of bifcuit and peafe to Newf undland, Nova Scotia, Bay Chaleur, and Labrador," &c. [xxxviii. 333.], as expired on the 1st of January 1777.

An act for registering the grants of lifeannuities; and for the better protection of infants against fuch grants.

An act for allowing a drawback of the duties of customs, on the exportation of tea to Ireland.

An act for the more effectual prevention of the manufacturing of ab, elder, floe, and other leaves, in imitation of tea; and to prevent frauds in the revenue of excife, in respect to tea.

An act for further reftraining the nego tiation of promiffory notes and inland bills of exchange under a limited fum, within that part of Great Britain called England.

Seven other public bills; one for compounding a debt due to the crown by William Brown on tobacco-bonds, three relating to roads, and three relating to other matters of police, all in England; and to thirty-five private bills.

A most important queftion was balloted for at the Eaft-India house, on Friday, April 11. confifting of nine propofitions, viz.

"r. That the Rt Hon. George Lord Pigot be restored to the full exercife of the powers vefted in him by commition from the Company.

2. That Claud Ruffell, Alexander' Dalrymple, John Maxwell Stone, and Richard Lathom, Efqs, be reinflated in their offices as members of the council.

3. That George Stratton, Henry Brooke, Efqs, Sir Robert Fletcher, Kt, Charles Floyer, Archdale Palmer,,, Francis Jourdain, and George Macky, fqs, have violently fubverted the go. vernment by a military force.

That for the above conduct, George
LI
Stratton,

Stratton, Henry Brooke, Efqs, Sir Robert Fletcher, Kt, Charles Floyer, Arch. Palmer, Fr. Jourdain, and Geo. Macky, Efqs, be forthwith fufpended the Company's service.

5. That the following gentlemen be of the council of Madras: Rt Hon. George Lord Pigot, Prefident and Go vernor; Thomas Rumbold fecond, and to fucceed, Col. Hector third; and fix ed J. Whitehill, Claud Ruffell, Ch. Smith, Alex. Dalrymple, Samuel Johnfon, John Maxwell Stone, Ed. Cotsford, Richard Lathom, Peter Perring, and Alexander Davidfon, Efqs.

6. That Claud Ruffell, Alex. Dalrymple, John Maxwell Stone, and Richard Lathom, Efqs, who have from their fi tuation been involved in the late difputes, fhall be felected for the fubordinate ftations.

7. That Lord Pigot's proceedings, as Prefident of the Council, at Madrafs, appear to have been in feveral inftances reprehenfible.

8. That this Court will give positive orders refpecting the powers to be exercised by a majority of council.

proclamation of the fame fhall be made' in Madrafs; and that they shall in that time direct and govern every thing, independent of the nominal governor." Upon this refolution in the court of directors, there was a divifion of 11 and 11; when the fecretary decided it in the af firmative, which afterwards produced a protest, figned by 11 directors, whofe names were read in court.-To these refolutions there were others of a subsequent date, blaming the conduct of Lord Pigot for fuperfeding two of the council, and likewife for his taking presents from the Nabob of Arcot.

Sir Herbert Mackworth lamented the unhappy differences at prefent fubfifting in Madrafs, confeffed the caution and a bilities neceffary for treading on Afiatic ground, and the good temper and infor mation neceffary to decide ultimately on either fide of the queftion. After ftrengthening this pofition by feveral obferva tions, and reprobating the treatment of Lord Pigot, by arresting and confining him, he concluded his fpeech by moving, 1. That his Lordship be imme diately ordered home, to have the whole of his conduct inquired into by the company; 2. That thofe of the council who apported his Lordship be likewife or

Mr Gregory moved the whole toge ther in one propofition; Mr Rous feconded it; and the votes being equal, the Treafurer was called in, and drew the lot; and drawing for the question, it was refolved in the affirmative for all the propofitions.

At a court of proprietors of the Eaft India company, April 23. Mr Wombwell informed them, that the court of directors had, in consequence of their recommendation, come to feveral refolutions, in fubstance as follows. "That in or der a fit and proper perfon fhould have the command of the company's forces on the coat of Coromandel, in the prefent diftracted state of the company's affairs there, that Col. Hector Munro be appointed to that command: That the Rt. Hon. George Lord Pigot be restored to his late government of Fort St George, in the prefidency of Madrass: That a committee of five perfons be fent out to India forthwith, to infpe&t into the late unhappy differences, and regulate them accordingly; that their commission be in force but twelve months from the time

Governor, George Stratton, Efq; and that part of the council which fupported his measures, be likwife called home.→ Gov. Johnstone warmly oppofed this motion, and moved for the previous queftion. Mr Dempfter remarked, that the matter in iffue, called for the greatest coolnefs and attention; and moved to adjourn. The court adjourned till that day fortnight; by which time all the papers received from Madrafs were ordered to be printed, and deftributed to the proprietors.

At a court, May 7. the advices' received fince the preceding meeting, from Bengal and Bombay, were read;-the moft material of which were, the death of General Monfon; and a letter from General Clavering in confequence of that event, desiring to refign, which laft bad been over-ruled by Meff. Haftings and Barwell; "for though Mr Francis and he made an equality at the council-board, yet the cafting vote by act of parliament being vefted in Mr Haftings, as Governor.. General, and Meff. Haftings and Barwell's principles being fo incompatible with his, the General says in this letter,

he

he could not answer for the fafety of the fettlement."-From Bombay, the moft interefting advice was, the abfolute refufal of the governor and council of that fettlement, to acknowledge Meff. Stratton, Brooke, &c. to be the governor and council of Madrafs, and their addreffing all their dispatches fent to that government, to Lord Pigot and council, whom only they would recognife.

After the reading of these papers, the adjourned debate was refumed on Sir Herbert Mackworth's motion, viz. That Lord Pigot, together with the council of Madrafs, fhould be called home, in order to have their respective condu& more effectually enquired into." The Baronet opened the debate in fupport of his motion, which he contended was the only remedy for the diforders at Madrafs, and was founded in wisdom, juftice, and policy. The Baronet was followed by Mr Rous, who entered into the whole of the convulfions at Madrafs, and contend ed, that they had their origin from the intrigues of the Nabob of Arcot, affifted by the ufurpation, and Mr B-d, who ⚫has claims on the Nabob, to the amount of above half a million Sterling for himfelf and friends, for the payment of which the Nabob had granted affignments on Tanjore, even after the receipt of the company's orders for the restoration of it to the Rajah. - Mr Boyd, Mr Redhead, and Mr Macleane, alledged, that Mr Rous had, without any foundation, made the Nabob a party in the queftion. Gov. Johnftone fhowed, that the affignment by the Nabob, on Tanjore, to Mr Benfield, had been made after the receipt of the company's orders to reftore that kingdom to the Rajah, and therefore were nullities.-Mr Dalrymple clear ed up, to the fatisfaction of the court, the allegations against Ld Pigot.-Adm. Pigot fhowed, that his Lordship's life had been in danger; and derived its fafe ty, not from the conduct of the ufurpatied, but his Lord hip's own fpirit, in refufing to be moved at the dark hour of midnight from the Mount to God knows where. Maj. Wood being called upon to give an account of what had paffed at Madrafs, both in the arreft of Sir R. Flet cher, and the violent feizing of Lord Pigot, faid, that his Lordship had acted with as much tenderness in the one as his opponents had with violence in the other. Mr Dempfter expofed the incoherence and contradiction of the motion,

and went into the conduct of all the parties, fairly ftating what appeared to him to be any way reprehenfible in Lord Pigot's conduct, at the fame time declaring, that he had done nothing to merit the punishment Sir Herbert would inflict on him by a recal; and that as the general court had come to a resolution to reftore his Lordship, and the reference to the directors was only as to the mode, Sir Herbert's motion must throw the company into anarchy and confution.-It being now paft nine o'clock, the court divided on the previous queftion; which paffed in the negative 151 againft 116.

On report of a ballot, May 9. the numbers were, For the recall of Lord Pigot and the council 414, Against the recall 317. The court adjourned fine die.- -This affair has fince been agitated in parliament, and the refolution of the proprietors confirmed.

An extract of a letter from Lord Pigot to the court of directors, dated, St Thomas's Mount, Sept. 26. 1776, appeared in the London papers of April 30. viz.

"Maj. Horne, on the 17th instant, was ordered to communicate to me a copy of a letter from Mr Benfield, to Meff. Stratton, &c. dated the 8th, with their anfwer, dated the 17th. Mr Benfield fays, "He has arrived at the knowledge of certain tranfactions of mine, fuch as obtaining very large fums of money, &c. from Indian princes, which conftitute me guilty of an infringement of a late act of parliament; and declares his refolution to commence a profecution against me, for which he fhall have occafion to apply to the Board, to obtain certain evidences refiding within the bounds of Tanjore, or in places belonging to the Nabob of the Carnatic."

I fhall leave to the iffue of the profecution the proof of the malevolence of this charge. I muft, however, take notice, that although this gentleman has been induftrious for many months paft in pro pagating his intentions, he has referved to the eve of the difpatch the bringing forth his accufations, that they may go home unrefuted; but I trust you have that confidence in me, as to be perfua ded that my conduct has been strictly honourable, and that you will believe me when & affure you I have received no fum of money, and the only presents of any confiderable value are,

From the Nabobs foon after my arri-val, a set of breakfast gold plate; a coach LI 2 and