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BRITISH AND FOREIGN

HISTORY

For the Year 1797.

1797.

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General Reflections on the Prefent State of European Politics. State of Parties in Great Britain. The General Election. The Miniftry triumphant. The. Meeting of Parliament. His Majefty's Speech. Debate on the Address in the House of Lords. Extraordinary Proteft of Earl Fitzwilliam. Debate on the Addrefs in the House of Commons. Apprehenfions of a French Invafion. Measures propofed by the Minifter for the Defence of the Country. Debate on thefe Proposals in the House of Commons. Debates on the Supplementary Militia Bill. In the Commons. Bill for amending the Supple mentary Militia Act. Debates in the Commons on the Cavalry and Gamekeepers Bill. Further Debates on the Bill fer embodying Gamekeepers The Meafure abandoned. Debates on the Army and Navy Augmentation Bill in the Commons. Progress of thofe Bills through the House of Lords, &c. Bill for allowing Catholics to ferve rejected by the Lords. Scotch Militia Bill.

T
HE year 1797 has been diftin
guifhed by events the moft
remarkable perhaps in the annals
of modern Europe. That fplendid
æra, when the whole civilifed world
appeared to awake from a ftate of
intellectual torpidity, when the
chains that fuperftition had forged
and ftrengthened for ten centuries
before, were broken by the ftrong
effort of reafon and of truth; even
that extraordinary period is dimi-
nifhed in its importance on a com-
parifon with the prefent times. The
period of the reformation was how
ever marked by happier characte-
riftics, and happier prefages, than

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the prefent revolutionary period, Innovation was then produced by principle; it was fanctioned by piety; it was guarded by morals. In the prefent ftate of fociety, the friends of liberty, of order, and of religion, muft difcover, with pain, that policy, not principle, feems the groundwork of thofe changes we have recently witneffed. The French revolution unquestionably originated in the fpirit of liberty; but that facred name was too foon difgraced by the violence and mifconduct of faction. By the unfortunate and impolitic combinatien against the nafcent liberties of

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France,

France, the national fpirit was excited, and the love of liberty was loft and forgotten in the ftrong impulfe of patriotism. Repeated victory has tinctured the patriotifm of France with the lefs laudable, though not lefs energetic, paffion, ambition; the vanity of a people, naturally or habitually oftentatious, has taken the fatal direction of the defire of conqueft, and the ardour of domination. To what fatal point, to what awful conclufion, the ftate of European politics now naturally tend, he must be indeed a bold man who will prefume to predict.

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To recapitulate the events which have given birth to thefe reflections, would be to anticipate the hiftory of the year. Abroad we have feen the enormous increase of the power of France we have feen Italy Conquered, and Germany awed into fubmiflion. At home we have witneffed an event which was formerly regarded as one of the moft awful and calamitous that could be fall ys as a nation-the incapacity of the Bank of England to fulfil its engagements. With all this, order and tranquillity have been happily maintained, and the fenfe and virtue of the British nation have rifen fuperior to the impulfe of paffion,

pofition was first formed in this country, the party hoftile to minifters has perhaps never been weaker than at that of which we are now treating. The ftate of par. ties was indeed very fairly put to trial at the general election, which took place in the months of June and July, 1796. With a few exceptions, where the private charac. ter of the candidate, or the infiuence of family connexions, weighed against his political fentiments, the tide of fuccefs, in the counties and boroughs, ran proudly in favour of the minifter and his fupporters. In fome populous places, where the independent electors were numerous, an appearance of oppo fition was difplayed. In the city of London, Mr. Combe, one of the popular candidates, was elected by a great majority; and, what is ftill more extraordinary, nearly three thousand liverymen came for ward, almoft unfolicited, and without the ufual inducements of treats and banquets, to the fupport of alderman Pickett. At Weftminster, Mr. Fox ftood at the head of the poll, and nearly three thoufand of the electors gave their votes to Mr. Horne Tooke, in oppofition to the minifterial candidate, admiral fir Allan Gardner. At Leicester, DerOne confequence might indeed by, and Nottingham, fome gentlehave been naturally expected from men stood forward on the fame conthe diaftrous ftate of the public ftitutional principles as Mr Pickett affairs. A partial change, at leaft, in London, and obtained refpectof minifters might have been re- able fupport. At Coventry, the opgarded as a necefla y confequence pofition candidates were fuccessful; of unfuccefsful counfels; yet even and at Liverpool general Tarleton this political phænomenon has been gained his election against his broexhibited, of an adminiftration de- ther, whom the minifterial party feated in almost every project, fail- there had brought forward to oping in almost every promife, and pofe him. From Briftol, Norwich, mistaken in almoft every fpecu- and fome other places, invitations, lation, and yet poffeffing fill the it is faid, were fent to different perconfidence of the public. Since fons connected with oppofition; but the period, when a regular op- the gentlemen to whom thefe over

or alarm.

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tures

tures were made, were deterred by the fear of involving themfelves in the ruinous expences, which are now, to the difgrace and misfor. tune of the country, the conftant concomitants of contested elections.

The new parliament was called together at a feafon of the year unufually early — viz. the 6th of October, 1796. The speech from the thronefforded much fatisfaction to the nation, and was welcomed as the harbinger of returning peace. It intimated that his majefty had omitted no endeavours for fetting on foot negotiations to restore peace to Europe; in confequence of which, a way was now opened to an immediate negotiation, which muft produce an honourable peace for us and our allies, or prove to what caufe alone the prolongation of the war was to be afcribed.

"That his majesty would fend a perfon to Paris, with full powers to treat for this object; but it was evident, that nothing could fo much contribute to give it effect as the parliament manifefting both the determination and the refources to oppose the enemy; efpecially as there was an open defign profeffed of attempting a defcent upon thefe kingdoms.

That, by the skill and exertions of the navy, our commerce had - been protected almoft beyond example; the fleets of the enemy had been blocked up in their own ports; the operations in the Eaft and Weft Indies had been productive of great national advantages; and though the fortune of war on the continent had been more various, fuch a turn had been given to our affairs by the fpirit of the Auftrian forces under the archduke Charles, as might infpire confidence that the end of the campaign would prove as

difaftrous to the enemy as its commencement had been aufpicious."

After his majefty's feech had been read in the houfe of lords, lord Bathurst rofe to move the ad drefs. He had no doubt but that the house would be unanimous in agreeing to return their thanks for the gracious communication ju delivered. He adverted to the important conteft in which we were engaged; to the meature which had been determined on, of fending a perfon to Paris with full powers to treat for peace, and the neceflity there would be (in cafe this negoti ation fhould fail in its effect from the haughty demeanour or extravagant terms which might be demanded by the French directory) to unite as one man, and repel every hoftile attempt in as brave and gallant a manner as we had formerly done. His lordfhip next went into an eulogium on the skill and courage of our naval commanders; he touched upon the war on the continent, and extolled the magnanimity of our ally the emperor; fpoke of the flourishing ftate of the manufactures, revenues, and commerce of this country, and concluded with a panegyric on his majefty for his affurances of its being the with nearest his heart to fecure the profperity of this country by an honourable peace, and to maintain inviolate the privileges and liberties of his people.

The earl of Upper Offory, in rifing to fecond the addrefs, ob ferved, that one part of the fpeech alluded to the projected defcent of the enemy upon our coafts, and that his majefty had treated fuch a defign with the contempt it deferved; though fome precautions would be necellary to prevent, or turn it to the confufion of the enemy. He hoped that this peace, if we could

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obtain

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