Trials at London,-Court in Westminster-hall.

the Scotch; about 17 of these, and 12 of the English, were gentlemen.

The law required that the gentlemen taken prisoners at the surrender of Preston, and who were prisoners in the Marshalsea, Newgate, and the Fleet, should be sent down to Lancashire, the county in which the crime was committed. This could not be done without great expense and trouble. For removing this difficulty, a bill was brought into Parliament, entituled, A bill for the more speedy trial of such persons as have levied war against His Majesty during the late rebellion;' which, being passed, received the royal assent on the 6th of March. By this act, a court was constituted in Southwark, and Judges were appointed for the trial of those confined in the Marshalsea, and a commission ordered to try those in Newgate and the Fleet, at the Court of Common Pleas in Westminster.

Next day, this new commission for the trials in Westminster met, and bills of indictment for high treason were prepared against Thomas Forrester, the rebel General, William Shaftoe, Robert Talbot, Colonel Henry Oxburgh, Charles Wogan, Thomas Hall, Richard Gascoigne, Alexander Menzies, James Menzies, and John Robertson. Copies being given them, the Court adjourned, allowing them a week to prepare their defences. On the 14th, the Court met again, when they learned that No. VII. 3 I

Escape of General Forrester, Brigadier M'Intosh, &c.

General Forrester had made his escape out of Newgate, on the night of the 10th. A proclamation was published offering £1000 reward to any who might apprehend him; he, however, was safely landed at Calais. The Court proceeded to the trial of the rest, when Brigadier M'Intosh, Mr Gascoigne, &c. being arraigned pled not guilty, and, on a petition for farther time to prepare, were allowed three weeks. This they occupied in making preparations for their escape:-on the 4th of May, about 11 at night, M'Intosh, with 15 more of the prisoners, broke out of Newgate, having knocked down the keepers, and forced the doors. Some of them mistaking their way to the streets were again apprehended. A proclamation was immediately issued offering £1000 reward for apprehending Brigadier M'Intosh, and £500 for each of the rest, but in vain, for they could not be discovered. The Court sat again, on the 7th, and fourteen more were arraigned, who pled not guil ty, and had time allowed them to prepare their defences. The Court proceeded with those who were formerly indicted, and beginning with Henry Oxburgh, found him guilty, and sentenced him to be executed on the 11th at Tyburn, at which time his head was set up on Temple-bar. On the 16th, the Court sat again, when Thomas Hall of Otterburn, and Robert Talbot, Esq. were tried and found guilty. Soon after, Mr Gascoigne and

Trials at London,-Court in Southwark.'

several others were tried; the former made an animated defence, but they were all found guilty. On the 18th of May other four were tried; one of them pled guilty, and three of them were found so, by the Jury. These were all reprieved, except Mr Gascoigne, who was executed at Tyburn.

The Court in Southwark sat down on the 10th of April, and the Grand Jury for the county of Surry found bills against eleven of those who were prisoners in the Marshalsea, and the copies being given them, and the usual time allowed them to put in their answers, the Court adjourned for eight days. At which time they sat again, and the prisoners pleading not guilty, and desiring a longer time to prepare for their trial, the same was granted them. Bills being found against several others, copies of their indictments were given them, and the Court adjourned till the 8th of May. On that day the Court sat again, and two of the prisoners being brought on their trial, one of them was found guilty, and one acquitted. On the 11th, one was tried, and, after a vigorous defence, was found guilty. On the 12th, five of them, retracting their previous denial of guilt, pled guilty, and threw themselves on His Majesty's clemency; at the same time, two, having proven that they were forced into the rebellion, were acquitted. The Courts having adjourned for some time, that in Southwark sat again on the 30th of June, when

Bills of attainder passed against the Earl of Mar, &c.

two were tried, and found guilty. On the 5th of July, and succeeding days, ten were found guilty, which finished the proceedings of this Court.

On the 4th of July, the Court met again at Westminster, and on that, and the remaining days of that month, about thirty were brought on their trial. Most of them pled guilty, and others were found so, by the Jury. Among the former of these was Mr Paul, a clergyman, and of the latter, James Menzies of Culdare, who pled the King's pardon, in regard of his extraordinary case; those who drew him into the rebellion being about to possess his estate.

The British Parliament passed bills of attainder against the Earls of Mar, Linlithgow, Marischal, Seaforth, Southesk, Panmure, the Marquis of Tullibardine, Lord Drummond, and some other chiefs of the rebellion in Scotland, which received the royal assent on the 7th of May: also,

A bill for enlarging the time for the continuance of Parliaments, commonly called the septennial bill;' and 'A bill to indemnify such persons who have acted in defence of His Majesty's person and government, and for the preservation of the pub

lic peace of this kingdom, in and about the time of the late unnatural rebellion, from vexatious suits and prosecutions,' &c. About the end of this session, bills of attainder were passed against General Forrester and Brigadier M'Intosh, and

Prorogation of Parliament,-civil and military arrangements.

'A bill for more effectually securing the peace of the Highlands in Scotland, by disarming the people,' &c. and 'A bill for appointing commissioners to enquire into those estates which were forfeited by the rebellion,' which the King had promised to give up for the public service.

The King having signified to his Parliament his desire to visit Germany on urgent business, a bill was brought in for rescinding part of an act, passed in the 12th and 13th years of the reign of King William, whereby it is provided, that no person who shall come to the possession of the crown, shall go out of the dominions of England, Scotland, or Ireland, without consent of Parliament.' These bills having been passed, His Majesty, on the 26th of June, went to the House of Peers, and gave them his assent. Having addressed both Houses, the Parliament was prorogued to the 7th August.

Having appointed General Carpenter Commander-in-chief of all the forces in Scotland; Lord Lovat, Governor of Inverness, for his good services in recovering that place from the rebels; the Earl of Sutherland, President of the Chamberlainry in Scotland; and a patent having passed the seals, creating His Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Regent of the kingdom of Great Britain, and His Majesty's Lieutenant within the same; the King, on the 7th of July, departed for Holland, where he arrived on the 9th, on his way to Hanover.

The state prisoners who had been reprieved by