will have the honour to give him their advice, and form a commiffion, which will be called The miniftry of conference," and his majefty appointed the members of this commiffion laft Saturday, who are Count Often, Meffrs. Van Gachler, Van Rantzau, Scheminelman, Scheel, and Van Haxtbaufen.

The king has published an ordonnance, dated Dec. 27, by which his majesty permits brothers and fifters children to marry together; and alfo that a widower may marry the fifter of his deceased wife, without being obliged to have the bishop's difpenfation for

the fame.

GERMANY.

Vienna, Jan. 4. The laft letters from Conftantinople declare, that all the general officers of the Ottoman grand army have been fummoned to attend the Divan, in order to give their advice refpecting the measures to be taken on the approaching campaign.

Private letters from Vienna advise, that frequent conferences are held between the prince de Kaunitz Ritberg and the Pruffian minister who refides at that court, and it has been remarked that expreffes are often sent to Berlin; from which it is imagined, that fomething of confequence is tranfacting beween the two courts. It is likewife reported that the imperial troops which heretofore only formed a line on the frontiers of Poland, have lately entered that kingdom, which, if true, cannot be without fome defign.

Lower Elbe, Feb. 5. A report prevails that the Ruffian troops are preparing to leave Poland, as far as Podolia; and that in their ftead Auftrian and Pruffian troops are to enter that kingdom. It is afferted that this is to happen very foon, but how much this report may be depended on, time must shew.

Ratifbon, Jan. 3. We learn from Munich that a fire broke out there, which continued burning three days; the convent of Theatins was destroyed, and the palace was near fuffering the fame fate. Among the many difafters attending this terrible fire, they lament that of the library, which confifted of above 20000 volumes, and a confiderable number of fcarce manufcripts.

From the frontiers of Poland, Jan. 25. The confederates in number about 1000 men who attempted to make themselves mafters of Cracovia, and who only were able to poffefs that part of the town called Wazimerz, were driven from thence by a Ruffian lieutenant who commanded the place, and having received a reinforcement from Oidfchelwitz, attacked the confederates who retired after having 300 men killed, and leaving 100 horfes and leven pieces of cannon for the conquerors, whofe lieutenant was killed in the action,

PRUSSIA.

A correfpondent at Berlin informs us, that the king held the other day a moft particular Council of war; above 50 general officers,

many from diftant parts, appeared at the palace of Potzdam, the fame day, unknown to each other: They were all ordered to adjourn to different chambers allotted for that purpose, and like your jurymen, had no refreshment. The king in perfon then gave them each a written queftion, which they were to answer while he ftaid. When the king had recovered all thefe ftate answers, they were escorted out of town by different roads, and were not allowed to converfe together.

FRANC E.

A letter from Paris, dated Jan. 23, fays, "The difpute between the king and the par liament of Paris, is at length terminated in the banishment of every one of them; and the king has not only exiled them to different places, but fent the major part of them to little villages fcarcely to be called inhabited."

Rennes, Jan. 26. Our parliament begins to ftir in favour of that of Paris, on which account it addressed a letter to the king, da ted the 23d inftant, representing the injuftice done to that parliament, and exhorting his majefty to restore his good graces to a body, which his predeceffors always looked upon as the firmeft fupport of his throne.

Paris, Jan. 29. The king has issued letters patent, the 23d of this month, by which his majefty creates a new parliament.

The new court of juftice, under the name of the King's Court, fat yesterday, for the first time, in the ufual place. It is divided into four chambers, viz. The Grand Chamber, the Tournelle, the Inquefts, and the Requests.

Extract of a letter from Paris, Feb. 1.

"When Mr. Gilbert de Voisin, Greffier in chief of the parliament, received orders to re-affume the function of his poft, he wrote the following letter to the chancellor.

In confequence of the king's order, to which I fhall always fubmit myself, fet out this day for Paris, but at the fame time I declare, that my honour, my duty, and my confcience, do not permit me to perform the function of an office which is no more. I have taken my oath to the parliament, and I cannot exercife my function but in concert with that parliament. I fhall never separate myself from fo refpectable a body. It is with thefe fentiments that I have the honour to offer the king my place, praying him to make my lot fimilar to that of the other members of my company.

The king having renewed his orders to him, he wrote the following letter:

I cannot fwerve from the answer I gave yesterday; it contains the true fentiments with which I am animated; my confcience, honour, and duty, forbid my doing the functions of a charge, which again I offer to the king, praying him not to impute to disobedience a conduct dictated by the purest love,

the

the moft fincere attachment, and the moft, profound respect.'

Laft Sunday he received a Lettre de Cachet, which exiles him to Beflieres in upper Languedoc, and they fignified to him at the fame time the arret of counfel, which declares his poft confifcated to the king's ufe, for having acted contrary to the edict which is at prefent the bafis of the modern legislation. Mr. Gilbert de Voifin's poft coft a million, and brings in 100,000 livres. The other Greffiers and fecretaries did not dare to do fo bold an action and ran away, but having received orders from the king to refume their fervice on pain of being imprisoned, the lofs of their offices, and that their children fhould be declared unworthy to fill any poft in the kingdom, they returned to their duty."

Paris, Feb. 1. The court of Aydes has refolved to make remonftrances to the king, befeeching his majefty to recall all the members of his parliament. It is not doubted but the other parliaments will petition the king upon an event which they cannot look upon with indifference.

Paris, Feb. 4. It is affured that the princes of the blood have held fome conferences relative to the prefent fituation of affairs, and agreed upon fome reprefentations, which the duke d'Orleans, who had not appeared at Verfailles for three weeks before, was to prefent to the king the 31ft of January last. It is faid that the audience which that Prince had of the king lafted above twenty minutes.

The last letters from Paris advise, that a great many perfons have lately been fent to the Baftile. These letters add, that the Duke de Choifeul is often confulted in his retreat by the miniftry upon difficult points, which he gives his opinion upon with the greatest candour and politenefs; which demonftrates the goodness of his heart, and makes the lofs of him more and more regretted.

SPAIN.

others Aept in boats on the canals, and many in coaches in the great fquare; they were fcarce beginning to recover from their fears, when they were again alarmed by some small fhocks yesterday, which have fo much terrified them, that they are come hither, and no bufinefs attended to.

Rome, Jan. 12. We are affured, by different letters arrived here, that the king of France has determined to eede the town of Avignon, and the whole county of Venaifin, to the Holy See, and that his majesty has already fent fome orders for that purpose to the parliament of Provence.

They write from Milan, that they are going to fupprefs the canons of Lateran. If this is true, the fame will be done in the ecclefiaftical ftate, where that order is laden with debts, which cannot be acquitted without employing all the funds, unless the reverend chamber is willing to do it at its own coff, for the prefervation of that illuftrious order, which is one of the firft of the church. TURKEY.

Conftantinople, Jan. 3. Laft month two divans were held, in which the Grand Seignor manifefted his intention of heading his army next campaign; the first was compofed of the heads of the law, who reprefented to the Sultan the danger the capital would be in by his abfence; and the fecond compofed of the principal officers of the army, approved his defign greatly; and after they had finished their difcourfe, his highness made them this propofition: "Can you affure me, and be bound for the fame, that at my arrival at Adrianople, or the army, I fhall be in fecurity?" Since that time, it is faid, the Grand Seignor will follow the lawyers advice; and we are affured that his highness has declared that he will not absent himself from the Seraglio, though the enemy were at the gates of the city. This refolution has spread a general difcontent among the people, who fhew it publickly, by infulting the Sultan in the open streets.

The accounts of the arrival of the third Ruffian Squadron in the Archipelago have renewed our alarms in regard to the Dardanelles. If that fquadron fucceeds in forcing the Dardanelles, the Grand Seignor will then be obliged to liften to the propofitions of peace made him by different foreign minifters.

NOTE to our CORRESPONDENTS.

THE extract from the New-York Journal

about Captain Calderwood, is inadmiffable from its length, and unimportance. The Effay on decypbering came too late for infertion this month-but it shall be properly attended toSo fhall Gnatho-Publius-Decius-A Member of Parliament, and a number of others, who came likewife too late for a more parti cular confideration in the present number.