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  • April 1, 1796
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The Freemasons' Magazine, April 1, 1796: Page 80

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    Article TRIAL OF VICE-ADMIRAL CORNWALLIS. ← Page 2 of 4 →
Page 80

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Trial Of Vice-Admiral Cornwallis.

sing necessity , and another to decide after the event had actually taken place ; that acting from , his judgment , he had a right to a fair discretion was evinced by fresh marks of confidence from the Admiralty , after his arrival at Spithead ; that on receiving the order to go out in the Astrea , convinced that his doing so , would render him more fit for an Hospital than a command , he had written to Lord Spencer , not to say he would not go , but that he requested to be permitted to wait till the Royal Sovereign was repaired ; that he conceived this proposal would have been acceded to , or refused ; and that it was impossible to aicuse him of disobe-: dience to the

order , till the reply-to his request should be received : but no reply having been given , he did not stand in the situation of an Officer justifying the disobedience of orders ; that the expressions of sailors should least of all men be subject to criticism ; that the system of British law was calculated , not to entrap , or entangle in snares , but ivas built on justice tempered by humanity . Captain Whitby proved that Admiral Cornwallis had consulted him on the possibility of repairing the Royal Sovereign in the West Indies , and had expressed great concenionexaminih gtheCharts & to find it could not be donehelikewise

c . : swore , from his knowledge of the Admiral ' s health , that he thought itwouldhave been injured by his going out in the Astrea : Mr . Alexander , the Master , and Mr . Kaine , the Surgeon of the Royal Sovereign , gave their testimony to the same effect . - This day ( April <) J the Court being assembled , delivered its sentence as follows . SENTENCE . 1 " c ' - '• 'he . Court is of opinion , that misconduct is imputable to the Vice-admiral , for not having proceeded to the West Indiesin the-Mars Minotaurafter

( | , , or , ^ the damage the Royal Sovereign sustained ; but in consideration of the circumstances of the case , do acquit him of any further censure thereupon ^ And the Courtis also of opinion , that the charge of disobedience ofthe order J of the Admiralty , of the 15 th of March last , declining to proceed to Barbadoes , in the Astrea , is not proved ; they therefore , acquit him thereof accordingly . " . - , - .. ' ADMIRAL CORNWALLIS ' S flag was flying on Board the Royal Sovereign ! during the Whole of the Court Martial . .

Fxeter , April 10 . A few days ago Thomas Wilson ,-alias Mountain , was executed at / he' Drop over the Lodge of the new County gaol , pursuant , to his sentence , for robbing the house of Norman M'Caslin , at Plymouth Dock , of three pair of silver knee-buckles , and sundry other articles . Since his confinement he has several times attempted to break prison ; and ( after his condemnation ) he made a hole through a brick-and half-partition , large enough for him to pass into the chapel gallery , from which he astonishingly ascended into another ten feet abovewith fetters nearly weihing jolband so formed as not to permit foot

, g , . one to step six inches before the other . Here he broke through a plaister partition , and thus got" over the brick deling of all the cells , ' and . immediately under the roof of the whole building , where he was overheard and soon secured . . Searcliin " him , a hooked nail and a bit of tin plate were found . The bit of plate he had whetted to a very keen edge , as a knife to cut up the stout canvas cover , of . his straw bed into long strips . These he had twisted and strongly tied together , so as to form a very stout rope nearly forty feet long , whereby he intended to have made his descent from the roof intothe

, surrounding yard . He was afterwards coniirie ' d in a room on the ground-floor so chained that he could reach no wall , and a guard constantly with him—since which his conduct has been a mixture of rage and disappointment , very unbecoming his unhappy situation . He was broughton the platform about twelve o ' clock , where he spent some time in addressing the crowd ; after which he . twice called out aloud , " God save the King 1 " threw aside his book , and was launched Into eternity . , 2 i . The Admiralty received accounts , that the gallant Sir Sydney Smith followed , in his boats , a French lugger privateer ' which he had driven into the Port of Havre , and which lie there boarded ancl took ; but by a combination of events .

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1796-04-01, Page 80” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01041796/page/80/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Untitled Article 2
LONDON: Article 2
TO READERS, CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 3
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE: AND CABINET OF UNIVERSAL LITERATURE. Article 5
MOON-LIGHT. Article 12
AN ADDRESS TO THE BRETHREN OF ST. JOHN'S LODGE, NO. 534, LAHCASTER. Article 14
EXTRACTS FROM THE MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF EDWARD GIBBON, ESQ. Article 17
SKETCHES OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN INDIANS. Article 22
CHARACTERS OF CHILLINGWORTH AND BAYLE. Article 26
SCENE IN THE ALPS. Article 28
A TOUR THROUGH LONDON, Article 29
THE STAGE. Article 35
ON THE RETURN OF SPRING. Article 39
TO THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE. Article 41
THE VANITY OF FAME. Article 42
ANECDOTES. Article 44
SINGULAR INSTANCES OF PUSILLANIMITY Article 46
SINGULAR INSTANCE OF GENEROSITY. Article 47
BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Article 48
HOUSE OF COMMONS. Article 49
REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Article 54
LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Article 59
POETRY. Article 60
THE MASON,S PRAYER. Article 61
ELEGY. Article 62
TO THE MOON. Article 63
PROLOGUE TO VORTIGERN. Article 64
EPILOGUE TO THE SAME. Article 65
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 66
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 69
FROM THE LONDON GAZETTES. Article 70
STATE PAPERS. Article 75
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 77
HOME NEWS. Article 78
TRIAL OF VICE-ADMIRAL CORNWALLIS. Article 79
PROMOTIONS. Article 82
Untitled Article 82
OBITUARY. Article 83
LIST OF BANKRUPTS. Article 85
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Trial Of Vice-Admiral Cornwallis.

sing necessity , and another to decide after the event had actually taken place ; that acting from , his judgment , he had a right to a fair discretion was evinced by fresh marks of confidence from the Admiralty , after his arrival at Spithead ; that on receiving the order to go out in the Astrea , convinced that his doing so , would render him more fit for an Hospital than a command , he had written to Lord Spencer , not to say he would not go , but that he requested to be permitted to wait till the Royal Sovereign was repaired ; that he conceived this proposal would have been acceded to , or refused ; and that it was impossible to aicuse him of disobe-: dience to the

order , till the reply-to his request should be received : but no reply having been given , he did not stand in the situation of an Officer justifying the disobedience of orders ; that the expressions of sailors should least of all men be subject to criticism ; that the system of British law was calculated , not to entrap , or entangle in snares , but ivas built on justice tempered by humanity . Captain Whitby proved that Admiral Cornwallis had consulted him on the possibility of repairing the Royal Sovereign in the West Indies , and had expressed great concenionexaminih gtheCharts & to find it could not be donehelikewise

c . : swore , from his knowledge of the Admiral ' s health , that he thought itwouldhave been injured by his going out in the Astrea : Mr . Alexander , the Master , and Mr . Kaine , the Surgeon of the Royal Sovereign , gave their testimony to the same effect . - This day ( April <) J the Court being assembled , delivered its sentence as follows . SENTENCE . 1 " c ' - '• 'he . Court is of opinion , that misconduct is imputable to the Vice-admiral , for not having proceeded to the West Indiesin the-Mars Minotaurafter

( | , , or , ^ the damage the Royal Sovereign sustained ; but in consideration of the circumstances of the case , do acquit him of any further censure thereupon ^ And the Courtis also of opinion , that the charge of disobedience ofthe order J of the Admiralty , of the 15 th of March last , declining to proceed to Barbadoes , in the Astrea , is not proved ; they therefore , acquit him thereof accordingly . " . - , - .. ' ADMIRAL CORNWALLIS ' S flag was flying on Board the Royal Sovereign ! during the Whole of the Court Martial . .

Fxeter , April 10 . A few days ago Thomas Wilson ,-alias Mountain , was executed at / he' Drop over the Lodge of the new County gaol , pursuant , to his sentence , for robbing the house of Norman M'Caslin , at Plymouth Dock , of three pair of silver knee-buckles , and sundry other articles . Since his confinement he has several times attempted to break prison ; and ( after his condemnation ) he made a hole through a brick-and half-partition , large enough for him to pass into the chapel gallery , from which he astonishingly ascended into another ten feet abovewith fetters nearly weihing jolband so formed as not to permit foot

, g , . one to step six inches before the other . Here he broke through a plaister partition , and thus got" over the brick deling of all the cells , ' and . immediately under the roof of the whole building , where he was overheard and soon secured . . Searcliin " him , a hooked nail and a bit of tin plate were found . The bit of plate he had whetted to a very keen edge , as a knife to cut up the stout canvas cover , of . his straw bed into long strips . These he had twisted and strongly tied together , so as to form a very stout rope nearly forty feet long , whereby he intended to have made his descent from the roof intothe

, surrounding yard . He was afterwards coniirie ' d in a room on the ground-floor so chained that he could reach no wall , and a guard constantly with him—since which his conduct has been a mixture of rage and disappointment , very unbecoming his unhappy situation . He was broughton the platform about twelve o ' clock , where he spent some time in addressing the crowd ; after which he . twice called out aloud , " God save the King 1 " threw aside his book , and was launched Into eternity . , 2 i . The Admiralty received accounts , that the gallant Sir Sydney Smith followed , in his boats , a French lugger privateer ' which he had driven into the Port of Havre , and which lie there boarded ancl took ; but by a combination of events .

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