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In Ireland, the Roman Catholics held tion for the purpose of claiming the right of electing and being elected to parliament.

-In Scotland, a kind of convention was alfo held for the purpose of regulating elections, and doing away fictitious votes; which will be a confiderable diminution of the ariftocratical influence in Scotland. The burgh-reformers in that country perfevered in affembling, petitioning, and remonftrating.

In the East-Indies, lord Cornwallis crowned a fuccefsful war with a happy and glorious peace.

Several bills were paffed, and others introduced into parliament, in favour of humanity; among which lord Rawdon's bill for the relief of unfortunate, not fraudulent debtors, is most distinguished.

More rain has fallen this year, than during any former year for a century past.

CHAP.

CHA P. LXXIX.

LAST WILL OF LOUIS XVI.

N Chriftmas-day, the king of France made his laft will and teftament, as follows: "This 25th of December, 1792, I, Louis, Sixteenth of the name, King of France, imprisoned in the Temple for more than four months, by those who were my fubjects, involved in a trial, of I which the iffue cannot be known, from the paffions of men, in the prefence of God declare my fenti

ments.

"I leave my foul to God, my Creator, praying him not to judge it according to my merits, but by his infinite goodness and mercy in Jefus Chrift.

"I commend to God my wife, my children, and my fifter. I recommend my children to my wife, and intreat her to watch over their education. I pray my fifter to continue her tenderness to my children. I intreat my wife to pardon me for what she has fuffered on my account; and I recommend to my children to obey their mother, and always to have God before their eyes.

"I recommend to my fon, if ever he becomes king, to think only of the happiness of his fellow

citizens,

citizens, and to be mindful that he never can be happy, but by ruling according to the laws.

"I recommend to my fon the persons who have been attached to me.

"I pardon those who have become mine enemies, and I pray God to pardon them in the fame

manner.

"I pray thofe, whom I may have offended by difregard, to pardon the ill I have done them.

"I beg M. M. of the commune to deliver to my valet, Clery, my cloaths, my watch, and the trifles that were taken to the commune.

"I beg M. M. Malefherbes, Tronchet, and de Seze, to receive my tender acknowledgment.

:

"I proteft that I am not guilty of the crimes, with which I am reproached, and that I neglected nothing to remove from my dominions the fcourge of war, and prevent the invafion of the Pruffians and Germans."

СНАР.

2

CHAP. LXXX.

THE FATE OF LOUIS DECIDED.

AT eight o'clock in the evening of the 16th of

January, 1793, the question of the punishment to be inflicted on Louis Capet was agitated in the national convention, and lafted for twenty-four hours. Most of the members prefaced their opinions with their reafons; and, on the 17th, the prefident announced the refult of the whole. Out of 721 votes, 366 were for death, 319 for imprifonment during the war, two for perpetual imprifonment, eight for a fufpenfion of the execution of the fentence of death, till after the expulfion of the family of the Bourbons. Twenty-three were for not putting him to death, unless the French territory was invaded by any foreign power; and one was for death, but commutation of punishment. The prefident in confequence declared, "That the national convention pronounced fentence of death against Louis Capet."

In the feffion of the 19th, the convention put the queftion, "Whether the execution of the fentence paffed on Louis C fhould be delayed?" At the clofe of which, the predent declared the following

to

to be the refult. Out of 748 members, 17 were absent on commiffion, 21 from fickness, eight without any affigned reafon, 12 did not vote, 310 were for delaying the execution of the sentence, and 348 for putting it into execution.

The convention then ordered their decree to be immediately notified to the executive council, with orders to give an account the next day at eleven o'clock, of the measures taken to put it in execution within twenty-four hours.

It appeared by an accurate statement of the votes of the national convention, upon the fubject of the death of Louis XVI. that the majority of fuffrages for his immediate execution was only carried by five voices.

The letter from the unfortunate Louis, read at the bar of the national convention by his counfel Seze, was written in his own hand, and expreffed in the following terms.

I owe it to my honour, and my family, not to fubfcribe to a judgment that accufes me of a crime, with which I cannot reproach myself. In confequence I declare, that I appeal to the people from the decifion of their representatives, and I request the national convention to decree, that mention fhall be made thereof in the Proces-verbal.

"LOUIS."

M. de

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