perial majefty fhall immediately fend to his affiftance ten thousand infantry and two thousand horfe. On the other hand, if Ruffia is attacked by any European power, even in Afia, Great Britain fhall immediately fend to her afsistance a fquadron of twelve fhips of the line, which shall remain in the Baltic from the beginning of May to the commencement of the month of October. The idea of sending a fleet to the affiftance of Ruffia in the Baltic, in cafe the Turks or Tartars fhould invade her immenfely-remote provinces bordering upon the Euxine or the Cafpian, is fo extravagant, that the real meaning of the emprefs, probably, was merely to take advantage of the prefence of an English squadron in the north, in order to improve her own marine by imitating the example, and habituating the Ruffians to the practice of the fkilful manoeuvres, of the English fhips and feamen. It must not be omitted, that a feffion of parliament was held in the month of February at Corte, the ancient capital of Corfica, by fir Gilbert Elliot, the viceroy of that newly-acquired kingdom. His excellency communicated to them his majefty's gracious intentions to take upon himfelf the whole charges of their military establishment; and alfo declared, that they would have the benefit of a great naval force, without any expenfe. By his majesty's taking upon himself the charges and expense of the Corfican eftablishment, the viceroy doubtlefs meant no more than that his majesty would pledge himfelf for his faithful commons at Westminster: though, by the Conftitutional Act, the ifland of Corfica was no more under fubjection to Great Britain, i. e. to the British legislature, than to the Great Mogul. The viceroy, therefore, had reason on his fide when he exhorted this affembly "to reflect on the advantages which they enjoyed, and which he truly observed were the exclufive privileges of the Corfican nation :"-there being certainly no other example in history of any government taking upon itself to defray the expenses of another government, government, which afferted, and was in actual poffeffion of, the most perfect independency. His excellency also, with true Catholic devotion, informed the legislative body, "that a fettlement of their religious establishment had been referved for them, in concert with his holiness the Pope." At the clofe of this gracious fpeech, his excellency piously prayed, "that God would fo blefs and enlighten their counfels, as to render this firft parliament of Corfica an example to all fucceeding ones"-A petition loft in empty air long before it reached the pen of the recording angel. Early in the present year (1795), lord Amherst retiring full of years and honors from public life, his royal highnefs the duke of York was appointed commander-in-chief. and field-marshal-general of the forces of Great Britain. The duke of Richmond was removed from his post of master of the ordnance, in which he was fucceeded by earl, recently created marquis, Cornwallis; and fir William Howe was nominated, in the place of the latter nobleman, governor and lieutenant of the Tower of London. About the fame time a petition was prefented to the houfe of commons from the city of London, in commorhall affembled, deploring in ftrong terms the disastrous effects of the prefent war. "Your petitioners conceive," fay they," that none of the ends propofed by the present war either have been, or appear likely to be, obtained, although it has been carried on at an unprecedented expense to this country. Your petitioners, from their present view of public measures, prefume humbly but firmly to exprefs to this honorable houfe their decided conviction that the principle upon which the war appears now to be carried on neither is nor can be effential to the profperity, the liberty, or the glory of the British empire. Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that this honourable house, difclaiming all right of interfering in the internal concerns of France, will be pleafed to take fuch measures as they in their wisdom fhall think proper for the purpose of pro moting a speedy peace."-The cities of York, Norwich, and fome others, followed the example of London; but these petitions were not fufficiently general to produce any very fenfible effect; and counter-petitions were obtained by the partizans of miniftry, in which a confident reliance was expreffed on the wisdom of the government to set on foot, at the proper period, fuch negotiations as might lead to the restoration of peace. In the month of July fome ferious riots, continuing for feveral fucceffive days, took place in London, occafioned by the difcovery of fome fhameful practices which had been long prevalent, but which were subsequently and effectually reformed by the excellent regulations of the prefent royal commander-in-chief, of inveigling men into his majesty's fervice. Emboldened by the little oppofition they met with, the populace, who had long fhewn a marked averfion to Mr. Pitt, conceiving, upon no rational ground, that he had authorized or countenanced these abuses, repaired to his house in Downing-street, the windows of which they demolished, and were proceeding to further violence, when they were informed that the affighted minister had escaped by the park-gate to the Horfe-Guards; and on the arrival of the military they were, not without fome difficulty, at length dispersed. The ridiculous bufinefs of the Pop-gun Plot, as it was generally and ludicrously ftyled, was revived in the autumn of this year; and one Crossfield, a furgeon, who had been for fome time a prifoner in the town of Breft, was apprehended on fufpicion of being concerned in this dark confpiracy. It appeared, on examination before the privy-council, that this man, whose intercourse with the other plotters, Higgins, Smith, and Le Maitre, was proved by the teftimony of the infamous informer Upton, had boafted (probably hoping to ingratiate himself with the Jacobins with whom he was furrounded, and contrary to truth) that he had been accused of being concerned in this affair; and affected to drop fome myfterious mysterious expreffions relating to it. Crofsfield was upon this fent, by warrant of the privy-council, to the Tower; and Higgins, Smith, and Le Maitre, were re-committed, and at length brought to trial; when, upon a full investigation of the evidence on the part of the crown, which amounted to nothing more than some abfurd and contradictory hearfays, the prisoners were acquitted by verdicts which gave universal satisfaction. It is probable, or at least possible, that fome foolish and flighty difcourfe had paffed amongst them as to the practicability of fucceeding in fuch a romantic and criminal attempt. Great apprehenfions had been excited in the course of the year by divers affemblages of the populace, convened, very improperly, if not illegally, by the Correfponding Society, which still regularly continued its meetings. The moft remarkable of thefe was on the 26th of October, in a field near Copenhagen House, in the vicinity of the village of Pancras. The number here convened did not, as was supposed, amount to lefs than 40,000 perfons, whofe conduct, notwithstanding, upon this occafion, was decent and orderly. But where multitudes are collected, mischief may always be reasonably feared. Some of the orators of the fociety harangued the populace; and an address and remonftrance to his majesty being unanimously voted, they dif perfed peaceably to their respective homes. BOOK BOOK XVI. Seffion of Parliament, 1795---6. Infults offered to the King. Debates upon the Addrefs. Treafon and Sedition Bills. Profecution of Mr. Reeves. Mr. Whitbread's Bill to fix the Price of Labor. Extravagant Loan of the Minifter. Meffage from the King announcing the Re-establishment of regular Government in France. Pacific Motion of Mr. Grey. Mction by Mr. Wilberforce for the Repeal of the Slave-Trade. Motion by Mr. Grey for a Committee of Enquiry. Second Loan of Mr. Pitt. Financial Refolutions moved by Mr. Grey Motion by the Marquis of Lanfdown for the Appointment of a Committee of Finance. Addrefs to the King moved by the Earl of Guildford and Mr. Fox. Clofe of the Seffion. Military Operations, 1796. March of the General Moreau and Jourdain into the Heart of Germany. Defeat of Jourdain. Celebrated Retreat of Moreau. Wonderful Successes of General Buonaparte in Italy. Auftrians defeated at Montenotte and at Millefimo. Armistice concluded with the King of Sardinia. Louis XVIII. compelled to quit the Venetian Territory. Famous Action at the Bridge of Lodi. French take Poffeffion of Leghorn-likewife of Bologna, Urbino, and Ferrara. The Pope and the King of Naples fue for Peace. Battle of Caftiglione. General Wurmfer takes Refuge in Mantua. Cifpadane Confederacy. Battle of Arcole. General Alvinzi retires beyond the Brenta. Incredible Obftinacy of the Pope. Island of St. Lucia recovered. Capture of a Dutch Squadron at Saldanha-Bay—and of various Dutch Settlements in the Eaft. Evacuation of Corfica by the English. Defcent upon Ireland under General Hoche. Differences between France and America. General Washington refigns his Office. Affairs of Holland. Proceedings of the French Go vernment. |