cut Mr. Wilkes off, let the event be what it would, and next morning gave information of it by letter to to Mr. Wilkes, defiring him to be on his guard. Accordingly on Thursday morning, the perfon fworn against, as is fuppofed, bring. ing a letter to Mr. Wilkes's houfe, figned Alexander Dan, the purport of which was to beg an interview with him on an affair of the most intersting nature, he was defired to call again at one o'clock, which he did accordingly; and feven o'clock being then appointed, as he was going out at the parlour door, into Mr. Wilkes's bedchamber, two gentlemen, who had placed themfelves behind it, feifed him by each arm and flung him on his back. On fearching him a new penknife was found in his pocket, which he pretended he had purchased about nine months ago; on being farther queftioned, he faid fix months; and at last owned he bought it at Chatham about a fortnight fince. Upon this, he was taken immediately into cuftody by a tipitaff then prefent for that purpofe; was carried next morning before one of the judges; and a complaint likewife exhibited against him in the houfe of commons, who thereupon ordered the tipftaff, in whofe cuftody he was, to bring him to the bar; but when he was there, the houfe received fuch proofs of his being infane, as gaged them to discharge him from any further appearance. en When Mr. Wilkes had been wounded, as we have already relat. ed, he gave notice of it to the house of commons, who thereupon gave him time for his appearance, and afterwards enlarged it on the report of his phyfician and furgeon; but beginning at laft, to fufpect fome collufion between him and them, on the 16th of December, they ordered Dr. Heberden and Mr. Hawkins to attend him, in order to obferve the progrefs of his cure, and to report the fame to the house. In confequence this order, Dr. Heberden next day fent the following letter to Dr. Brocklesby, Mr. Wilkes's phyfician : "Dear Sir, Cecil-street, Dec. 17. An order of the house of commons is come to Mr. Hawkins and me, to attend Mr. Wilkes from time to time, in order to obferve the progrefs of the cure, and to make a report to the houfe together with you and Mr. Graves. You will oblige us by acquainting Mr. Wilkes with this; and if you will let us know at what time you intend to fee Mr. Wilkes on Monday, we will be ready to meet you there. Mr. Hawkins defires that the appoint ment may be for fome hour after twelve. I am yours, W. Heberden." And Dr. Brocklesby inclosed the above letter, with the order of the houfe, to Mr. Wilkes in the following letter: "Dear Sir, Late last night I received the inclofed letter from my moft ingenious and worthy friend Dr. Heberden, and alfo the inclofed copy of an order of the houfe of commons, to report upon your cafe on the 19th of January. I am therefore to entreat you to fix the hour for our attendance at your houfe on Monday, and I will take care to appoint Dr. Heberden and Mr. Hawkins. Yours, &c. R. Brocklefby." In answer to thefe letters, Mr. Wilkes fent the following cards to Dr. Heberden and Mr. Hawkins. The card to Dr. Heberden was as follows: << Mr. "Mr. Wilkes prefents his compliments to Dr. Heberden, and is duly fenfible of the kind care and concern of the house of commons, not only for his health, but for his speedy recovery. He is attended by Dr. Brocklefby, of whofe integrity and ability he has had the experience of many years, and on whofe fkill he has the most perfect reliance. Mr. Wilkes cannot but fill be of opinion, that there is a peculiar propriety in the choice he at first made of Dr. Brocklesby, for the cure of what is called a gunfhot wound, from the circumftance of the doctor's having been feveral years phyfician to the army; but at the fame time entertains a real esteem for Dr. Heberden's great merit; and though he cannot fay that he wishes to fee the doctor at prefent, he hopes in a few weeks he fhall be well enough to beg that honour to eat a bit of mutton in Great George-ftreet." And that to Mr. Hawkins: "Mr. Wilkes prefents his compliments to Mr. Hawkins. He fome time ago, from motives of humanity, readily confented, at the requeft of Mr. Martin, to receive the vifits of Dr. Heberden and Mr. Hawkins. He is now acquainted that the honour Mr. Hawkins intends him, of a vifit to-day, is not at the defire of Mr. Martin; and therefore he begs that it may be deferred till he is more capable of enjoying company. He has every reafon to continue perfectly fatiffied with the conduct of Mr. Graves, a military furgeon of eminence, who extracted the ball. He hopes, in a few weeks, to be fo well recovered, as to be able to receive Mr. Hawkins in Great George-freet; and fhall be impatient for an oppor tunity of fhewing the juft regard he will ever pay to fo diftinguished a character. Monday, Dec. 19 " In juftification, however, of the characters of Dr. Brocklesby and Mr. Graves, Mr. Wilkes fent for Dr. Duncan, one of his majesty's furgeons in ordinary, and Mr. Middleton, one of his majesty's ferjeant furgeons, who attended him accordingly.-The reafon he humoroufly gave to these two gentlemen, it is faid, for fending for them was, That as he found the boufe thought it proper that he should be watched, he himself thought two Sco:chmen moft proper for his fpies. This attention, however, of the house of commons to Mr. Wilkes's health feems, alone, to have had a happy influence upon it, for on the 24th he fuddenly fet out for France, to vifit his daughter, as he himfelf gave out, then dangerously ill at Paris, and arrived there on the 26th. Heads of an Act for granting to his Majefty feveral additional Duties upon Wines imported into this kingdom, and certain Duties upon all Cyder and Perry.. THAT from and after the 31st day of March 1763, the following additional duties fhall take place, viz. On French wine and vinegar imported 81. per ton; and all other wines and vinegar imported, 41. per ton; to be collected, levied, and paid, as expreffed in the aft of Jacobus II. or in any other act by which the duties thereby granted are made perpetual. Damaged and unmerchantable wines fhall be exempted from thefe additional duties. The The faid duties fhall be under the management of the commiffioners of the customs; and shall be paid over weekly by the receiver general into the Exchequer, apart from all other monies, and fhall be entered accordingly in proper books to be provided there for that purpofe. No allowance fhall be made for leakage, but upon wines imported directly from the country or place of their growth, &c. Madeira wines from the British plantations in America excepted. From and after July 5, 1763, an additional duty fhall be laid on all cyder and perry, viz. on all cyder and perry imported 40s. per ton; and upon all cyder and perry made within Great Britain, 4s. per hhd. to be paid by the maker. The duties upon cyder and perry made in England, to be under the "receipt and management of the commiflioners and officers of excife there, and thofe in Scotland under like officers there. The commiffioners fhall appoint a fufficient number of officers, and the duties fhall be paid into the Exchequer apart from all other monies. The makers of cyder and perry (not being compounders) fhall enter their names, and the mills, preffes, or other utenfils, ftore-houfes, and other places to be made ufe of, at the next office of excife, ten days before they begin to work, under the penalty of 251. for using any unentered place. The officers of excife, upon requeft made, fhall have free accefs in the day-time, to all places entered or made ufe of for making or keeping perry or cyder, and thall gauge, and report the contents to the commiffioners, leaving a copy for the maker. The duties fhall be paid according thereto, within fix weeks from making fuch charge; and the ufual allowances fhall be made in refpect thereof. Perfons, intending to fell or remove any cyder or perry in their poffeffion, made before July 5, 1763, fhall fend a figned particular thereof to the next office of excife, ten days before the faid 5th of July, that the officer may attend, and take an account thereof, and grant certificates occafionally for the removal of a like quantity, without charging the duty, &c. No cyder and perry exceeding fix gallons fhall be removed, &c. without a certificate, on forfeiture thereof, with the package. Officers of excife may feize the fame. A time shall be limited, for which the certificate shall be in force. Perfons making cyder or perry to be confumed in their own private families only, fhall be admitted to compound for the duties, they giving in a lift of the number in family, and paying at the rate of 58 per head pe ann. This compofition shall be renewed annually, and the money paid down at the fame time. The houfes, &c. of perfons, who fhall thus compound, fhall be exempted from furvey or fearch. But upon increase of the family, a new lift fhall be given in, and 5d. per month per head fhall be paid for the additional number, during the fubfifting unexpired term of the year. Compounders neglecting to deliver in fuch lifts, and to pay their compofition money, fhall be charged with the duty, and become liable to a furvey. Perfons delivering falle or defective lifts, &c. fhall forfeit 201. Children under eight years of age fhall not be inferted in the lifts. Com No compounder fhall let out or lend his mill, or other utenfils for making cyder or perry, without giving three days previous notice to the proper officer to attend, and charge the duties; unless the cyder or perry be the property of another compounder, or of fome perfon not liable to the duty; and no part of it fhall be removed without a certificate, under a penalty of 101. Perfons ufing their own mills, &c, or procuring cyder or perry to be made at the mill, &c. of any other perfon, fhall be deemed makers. Compounders for malt fhall not be liable to compound, or pay duties, for cyder or perry to be made and confumed in their own families, unless they shall fell, or otherways difpofe of any part thereof; in which cafe they fhall comply with the directions given with refpect to compounders in like circumftances. Occupiers of tenements not rated above 40s. per ann. to the land tax, and not making more that four hogfheads of cyder and perry in the whole in a year, fhall be exempted from duties, or compounding. Thefe new duties on cyder and perry fhall be drawn back on exportation; and upon diftillation thereof into low wines and fpirits ;' and upon the fame being made into vinegar, and charged with the duties as fuch. The penalty of oppofing an officer in the execution of his office, or of refcuing or ftaving any cyder or perry after any feizure thereof, fhall be 5ol. for every fuch offence. Informations for offences against this act, by the makers of cyder or perry, fhall be laid within three months after being committed; and notice thereof fhall be given them. Perfons aggrieved by the judgment of any juftice of the peace, touching the duties or penalties, may appeal to the quarter feffions; and the determination of the faid court fhall be final. Appellants fhall give notice to the other parties, and the court fhall award colts as they fee fit, to be levied by diftraint. For want of fufficient time intervening, an appeal may be made to the fecond quarter foflions. A re-hearing fhall be had of the merits of the cafe upon appeals; and defects of form in the original proceedings may be rectified by the court. All powers, rules, methods, penalties, and claufes in act 12 Car. II. or in any other act relating to the revenue of excife, where not altered by this act, fhall be put into execution with refpect to the duties on cyder and perry. The penalties and forfeitures relating thereto, fhall be recovered or mitigated, as by the laws of excise, or in the courts at Westminster, or the court of Exchequer in Scotland, and fhall be employed, half to the ufe of the king, and half to him that fhall fue. The duty on cyder and perry [2] 3 brought brought from Jersey, Guernsey, Sark or Alderney, fhall be paid by the importer before landing, on penalty of being feifed and forfeited, The monies arifing by the respective duties granted by this act, fhall be entered in proper books in the auditor's office feparately from each other, and from all other monies; and shall be a fund for the payment of the annuities chargeable on the principal fum of 5.000,000l. borrowed on the credit of this act, months; after the expiration of which they fhall be recovered and levied, as hereby directed, In lieu of the former compofition, officers of excife are authorised to compound with private families, at the rate of 25. per head, per ann. for each perfon of eight years old and upwards, in the lifts delivered in to them, which compofition fhall be renewed annually; and in cafe of an increase in the family during the year, an additional lift fhall be given in, and 2d. per month paid for every perfon added during the fubfifting unexpired term of fuch year. The compofitions fhall be applied as the duties. Other parts of the former act relating WHEREAS by an act made in to compofitions, shall continue in Heads of the Act paffed this Seffion for explaining and amending the foregoing Aat. the last feffion of parliament, a duty of four fhillings per hogfhead was granted upon all cyder and perry made in Great Britain, over and above all other duties and it was thereby directed, that the faid duty fhould be paid within fix weeks, from the time of making the charge by the officers of excife; and all makers of cyder and perry were thereby authorifed to compound for this duty, in respect of the cyder and perry to be confumed in their own private families. And whereas it would be a great relief to the perfons fubject to the faid duty, or to the compofition in lieu thereof, many of whom are indurious perfons, with large families, if the time for payment of the faid duty were enlarged, and the compofition of five fhillings, authorifed to be made by the faid ac, were lowered. From and after the 5th day of July 1764, the time limited by the former act for payment of the duties, fhall be extended to fix force. Makers of cyder at other preffes than their own, not being compounders, fhall enter their names at the next office of excife, ten days previous to fuch making; together with the mills, and owners thereof, and the cellars or ftorehoufes for keeping fuch cyder, under a penalty for their afing any unentered mill, ftorehouse, &c. of 251, Officers of excife fhall have free access to the faid mills, ftorehouses, &c. in the day time, to gauge the cyder, &c. and to make and report the charge, leaving a copy with the maker; who fhall pay the duty according to fuch charge. Proprietors of cyder mills, &c. fo lent out, fhall not be obliged to give notice thereof. Where the compounder intends to fell or difpofe of cyder, &c. immediately from the mill, the officer fhall deliver to him blank certificates and counter-parts for the purpote, to be filled up occafionally; which fhall protect the removal of fuch cyder. |