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In our account of Dr. Priestley's laft volume of Experiments, &c. [M. R. June 1779, p. 444, &c.] we took notice of one of the ways, indicated by one of his experiments, by which the fulphur is produced that is found in the vaults and aqueducts at Aix la Chapelle. The prefent procefs not only clearly explains the manner in which thefe waters become impregnated with fulphur, but likewife the cause of the appearance of the crude fulphur above mentioned. It appears, from the Author's experiments, that air, as well as the nitrous acid, has the property of decompounding this water:-even that small quantity of atmofpherical air, that is contained in common water, has this quality in a fufficiently fenfible degree, when the latter is employed in the process, instead of fresh diftilled water, or water that has. been lately boiled. When the natural fulphureous waters, therefore, come in contact with the external air; the latter, according to the Author, feizes the phlogiftic principle which kept the fulphur diffolved in the water; and thus, in time, are, formed thole fulphureaus crufts, which, as well as even the prefence of actual fulphur in these waters, have been the subjects of fo much controverly among the chemifts.

Differtation VIII. On the Acid of Sugar.

In this ingenious Differtation, M. Bergman communicates the difcovery of a new acid; the method of producing it; and its chemical properties and affinities with refpect to various other fubftances. The process for procuring it is briefly this: To one ounce of the fineft fugar are added three ounces of the strongest fpirit of nitre, in a tubulated retort. After the most phlogiftis cated part of the nitrous acid has exhaled, a receiver is to be adapted to the neck of the retort, and the folution made to boil gently, till it acquires a brown or chefnut-colour; when three. more ounces of nitrous acid are to be added, and the ebullition is to be continued till the tinged and fmoking acid has nearly. difappeared. The liquor remaining in the retort is now to be put into a broad veffel; and, on cooling, quadrilateral prifma tic cryftals will be formed, which, after being dried on a bibulous paper, will weigh about a drachm and and 19 grains.

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The remaining liquor, in which the cryftals were formed, is to be treated in the fame manner, with two ounces more of fpirit of nitre; and will furnish half a drachm and 13 grains of fresh cryftals. To the glutinous fluid, now remaining, two more gunces of nitrous acid are to be added in small portions, at different times; and the whole is to be evaporated to dryness: when, a faline mafs is left, which, when dry, weighs about half a drachm. Thefe different products mixed together are purified by repeated folution and cryftallifation.

The cryftals thus procured are the acid of fugar;-the last difcovered, and the dearest of the acids; for to produce one'

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ounce of it (from three ounces of fugar) thirty ounces of ftrong fpirit of hitre must be employed. Sugar, however, is not the only fubftance from which it is to be procured. It may be extracted not only from honey, and other faccharine juices, but likewife from gum arabic, and even the most highly rectified Ipirit of wine.

M. Bergman relates, in detail, the various combinations of this new acid with faline, earthy, and metallic fubftances. From a combination of it with fpirit of wine, he procured a kind of ether; inferior, however, to the vitriolic and other æthers in inflammability. The fixity and ftrength of this acid are very confiderable; so that, as we have indeed already hinted, it expels even the vitriolic acid from gypfum and felenite. On being exposed to heat in clofe veffels, the water of its cryftallifation is first partly expelled; and a great part of the falt is fublimed in a purer ftate: a very great quantity of air, or elaftic vapour rifing during the diftillation. From half an ounce of the crystals, near 100 cubic inches of air were produced; half of which confifted of fixed air, capable of being abforbed by lime water: in the other portion, a candle burned, and with a blue fame.

Confidering the large quantity of fpirit of nitre employed in producing this acid; it might be fufpected that it is only a modification of that acid; especially as the Author has not yet been able to procure it by any other means; fuch as fimple diftillation, detonation with nitre, digeftion and decoction with the vitriolic, and depblogisticated marine acids, &c. It is certain however, that it has properties not only different from, but likewife contrary to, thofe of the nitrous acid; which, in moft cafes, it expels from its bafes. Befides, it is allowed that fugar, as an effential falt, contains an acid; though enveloped in, and combined with, various faponaceous and phlogiftic matters. M. Bergman's idea is, that the nitrous acid, in confequence of the peculiar avidity with which it combines with phlogifton, breaks the union of thefe matters with the faccharine acid, and, leaves the latter difengaged. Be this as it may, the discovery of an acid, differing in its qualities fo much as this does from the nitrous and other acids, is certainly no small acquifition to the art of chemistry.

We have extended this article to fuch a length that, at prefent at leaft, we thall only obferve, that there remain three other differtations, which, like the former, exhibit many proofs of the chemical fkill, genius, and induftry of the Author. These are, Differ. IX. On Alum, and its Preparation: Diller. X. On the Combinations of Antimony with Tartar, and the Tartaretus Acid : and Differ. XI. On Magnesia. In a late foreign publication, we have seen with pleasure a fecond volume of this collection of Dif sertations advertised, as being then in the prefs; of which, when it appears, we shall not fail to give an account. MONTHLY

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CATALOGUE,

For JANUARY, 1780.

POLITICAL.

Art. 12. Fats: addrefled to the Landholders, Stockholders, Merchants, Farmers, Manufacturers, Tradefmen, Proprietors of every Defcription, and generally to all the Subjects of Great Bri tain and Ireland. 8vo. 25. Jonnfon, &c. 1780..

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HIS, as the title imports, is not a pamphlet of SPECULATION, but of BUSINESS,-bufinefs of the most ferious and important afpect, with regard to the political welfare of this community. I bears reference to one of the greatest objects of government ;-the economical application of the public revenue; for without EcoNOMY it is impoffible for even the mightiest STATES and EMPIRES, any more than private families and individuals, to fubfift, with any pro fpect of durability. As DISORDER is always followed by DISTRESS, fo wherever WASTE and EMBEZZLEMENT prevail, POVERTY and RUIN are infeparably in their train: nor is it poffible for human policy to divide companions who, in the unalterable nature of things, are eternally united.

The Fads here brought forward, to the general view, relate merely to the expenditure of the public money. Our Authors [for this tract is fuppofed to be the production of more than one hand, or, one head] have avoided to take notice of the fhameful abufes which prevail in the receipt of the revenue, and in the manner of accounting for it. The waste and plunder,' it is added, of the public money under these heads, are not of a lefs magnitude, or of smaller importance, than the abufes in the expenditure. But they deserve a feparate difcafion, and fhall have it; if it shall appear that the intelligence here communicated is welcome to the public, and ferves at all to rouse them to a sense of their wrongs, and to refolutions of obtaining justice.

The reprefentations here made, are profeffedly founded on the Duke of Richmond's and Lord Shelburne's celebrated motions in the Houfe of Lords, Dec. 7th and 15th, afferting the prodigality and waste of the national treasure, and urging the indifpenfable neceffity of immediately applying the remedies proper for a diforder fo im-. minently dangerous to the body politic. The rectitude of thofe [three] motions is first confidered and evinced, by way of preliminary difcourfe; and then the Authors proceed to state, in

Chap. II. The charges of the prefent war,-in order to demon ftrate the propofition which ftands at the head of the chapter, viz. that nothing can more forcibly prove the extreme neceffity of the propofed reformation, than an exhibition of the expence already in curred by the war, even with the fuppofition that a peace had been fettled at Christmas 1779. The accuracy of the eftimates must be

• The Duke well obferved, that profufion is not vigour ; that true œconomy, by retrenching all ufelefs expences, creates confidence in government, gives energy to its exertions, and provides the means for their continuance.

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taken for granted, as they appear to be drawn from authentic parliamentary documents; and the results are prodigious, indeed,-far exceeding all example of former administrations! The following is one of the conclufions here deduced: Suppofing the war to be continued (as Mr. Eden + fays it probably will) for years, it cannot add lefs, every year, to our debt, than THIRTEEN MILLIONS, exclufive of douceurs!

Chap. III. Gives us by way of contraft, the laudable example of the prefent adminiftration of finance in France. The obfervations here made, on this topic, are grounded on the very commendable, and highly popular edicts iffued in October and December last, the language of which, from the mouth of a French monarch, cannot fail of ftriking, with fingular force, the attention of every intelligent. English reader.

Chap. IV. On the King's Civil List. For the incurred profusion in this department we refer to the pamphlet only obferving, after our Authors, that notwithstanding his Majelty's large appointment, in 1760,-notwithstanding the vote of half a million for the discharge. of his debts, in 1769,-notwithstanding a further benevolence of, 618.3401. for the fame purpofe, in 1777,-notwithstanding thefe, great overflowings of extraordinary fupply, yet, in the midst ofthe, prefent expenfive war, the firft Lord of the Treafury had the modesty [our Authors' word] to propofe an augmentation to his Majesty's Civil Lift of 100,000l. per ann !

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Chap. V. Extraordinaries of the Army (here pointedly flyled Lord Nerth's Civil Lift). In Sect. I. we have a comparison of the prefent extraordinaries with thofe of former wars; in which the exceedings are truly alarming. It appears from the fums here put down, that the extraordinaries for four years only of the prefent war, amount to one million and a half ferling more than all the extraordinaries of Kings William's and Queen Ange's, and George the Second's first war together, which wars, comprife the space of twenty-nine years!'

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Seat. II. On the Jums remitted to North America, of which no account has been given to parliament. Here is an account of near four milions, for the years 1775, 1776, 1777, and 1778; the remittances for 1779 not being yet brought in. Befide the above-mentioned fum, the pay of the army is alfo remitted to America by Mers. Harley and Drummond, The remittances are fometimes, made in Spanish or Portugal coin, and fometimes in English coin: the quantity of the latter exported is faid to have alarmed the Bank. of England.'

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Sect. II. and IV. Contracts. For the enormities under this head, we refer to the Facts' at large.

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Seat. V. Bills drawn by Governors. More enormities, in a new. mode of profufion.

Seat. VI, Extraordinary Appointments, and contingent Bills. The abufes under this head have also the merit of novelty,

Sect. VII. Prefents to Indians. This fection affords indubitable evidence that tomahawks and fcalping-knives are very expensive

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In his Letter to Lord Carlifle. -See our laft month's Review, 1471,

Chap.

Chap. VI. Ordnance Eftimates. Here, for the fake of brevity, (the Reviewers economy) we must again refer.

Chap. VII. Navy Debt. (Lord Sandwich's Civil Lift). This branch of our public Debt is here stated at 8 012,415 1. of which the increase of last year only was 2,833,415. For the articles of extravagance, and of abuses, enumerated in this chapter, we muft, further, defire our readers to confult the book.

Chap. VIII. Remarks on Lord North's Method of raifing Money by Loans. Here the Minifter is charged with making contracts, and borrowing money, on higher terms than neceffity required. The detriment to the public, under this head, will appear terrifying, indeed, to thofe who do not think, with fome gentlemen in adminiftration, that the refources of this country are inexhaustible.

In conclufion, the public fpirited writers obferve, that if, in this our alarming fituation, many words are neceffary to excite us to vigorous and decifive exertions, we have already forvived the liberties of our country.We are now arrived at a period when either core ruption must be thoroughly purged from the fenate, or the nation is undone. If no remaining remedy can be found, by which this peltlence can be quietly removed-acum eft de republica. Let us fix the mark of the plague upon the doors of the houfe, and then-let him that will die of the infection, enter

Art. 13. The Yorkshire Question, or Petition, or Address: Being a fhort and fair State of the Cafe, on the Principles, the Views, the Means, and the Objects of both Parties, as confeffed by themfelves. Most earnestly and feriously addreffed to the Confideration of the People of England, affembled in their feveral County, City," and other Meetings. 8vo. 2d. Almon.

Confidering Mr. Smelt's Tory principles, as avowed in his famous' fpeech at the late Yorkshire meeting, as congenial with the common fentiments of the party who call themfeives the King's Friends,-the Whiggish Author of this little pamphlet has given us his comment on' the paffages here referred to, and has, very properly, exploded the principles of defpotifm with which they are obvioufly pregnant.-An' account of Mr. Smelt's character and connections is prefixed, and his fpeech, at length, is annexed.

This little, but feafonable, traft is of more importance than many of our political publications of greater buik and higher price. On the whole, the friends of liberty will deem themselves much obliged to Mr. Smelt for his opennefs and honesty, whatever thofe of the court-party may think of his discretion.- We are credibly informed that a fhrewd Yorkshire freeholder, who was prefent at the time whea this luckless oration was delivered, could not forbear exclaiming, in* a loud whisper to his neighbour, who stood at his elbow" E'faith! "this meafter what's his name has letten the cat out o'th'bag!"

He was formerly fub-governor to the prefent Prince of Wales;" is ftill, according to this pamphlet, in high favour at court, `parti., cularly with his Majesty.

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