The Virginia Gazette

LONDON, May 26.

ORDERS were sent yesterday to the victualling office to continue killing, so long as the weather remains cool. Vast quantities of salt provisions are wanted, and Ireland can no longer supply the navy, having been so much drained of every necessary of life, that the poor are in a starving condition.

The majority on the last night's question was, as usual, large in support of the ministry, 128 to 38, three to one. The question, however, was of the utmost importance. At the opening of this session an act was passed to prohibit all commercial intercourse with the Americans; and the effect of this bill lord North insisted would be, that America, cut off from the advantages of the British commerce, would be bereft of all resources of wealth; and consequently must fall prostrate, and confess unconditional submission to our commands. The consequences, indeed, no more followed in logic than they have in fact; for the commerce of America will find its own channel, in spite of us. The reasoning, however, had its effect for the moment, and the good people of England were cajoled into ruinous expense; but nothing was, at the time, farther from the ministers thoughts than shutting up the trade of the two countries. The object was, to take a monopoly of the trade to America into their own hands. The ministry reserved a power to themselves of licensing ships to carry provisions, and, under colour of provisions, every article of commerce was engaged in under treasury orders, and at the treasury expense. It appeared, by last night's examination, that men who would not, on their own bottom, have got credit for a suit of clothes, did, upon the authority of sir Grey Cooper's letter, which made the treasury answerable, get credit for valuable cargoes of all sorts of goods. Mr. Payne of the bank was examined, and, though a ministerial man, he by no means defended a job that took the trade of England out of mercantile hands, and threw it into the lap of the minister. It came out, that mr. Payne had complained of this dirty traffic to lord North; and that his lordship, thinking the stale plea of provision, that had satisfied his majority, would content a merchant, had made use of it to mr. Payne, who very sensibly and shrewdly had answered his lordship, that he thought nails a bad sort of provision for the king's troops, and hard of digestion. It appeared by his evidence, and mr. Whitlock's and mr. Wooldridge, very clearly, that sir Grey Cooper, with the knowledge of lord North, had opened, under those licenses, an illicit, clandestine trade with the colonies. To say no worse of it, this must throw the whole mercantile body at the feet of the minister. Sometimes it answers for the purpose of paying for addresses, and other compliances, and it probably opens a door to the most extensive corruption. It depends only on the nicety of lord Sandwich's honour, and lord North's, what quantum of fortune they may please to make, without appearing concerned. The mere fees of offices, for those licenses, enhance the benefit of those offices; but when a bankrupt or a party writer, or a school-boy, the son of a man in favour, obtains these licenses, and turns merchant, one plainly sees that the detection of the portion of profit the great ones take to themselves, or that the underlings about them get, cannot be ascertained, though the corrupt benefits which must arise cannot be doubted. Sir Grey Cooper, and mr. Robinson, will probably, by a year's war or two, be rich enough to be made lords, and lords as rich as Jews, though England may become as poor as a church mouse. But perquisite, and job, are the glory of the times!