per of the time in that country. The original of this curious publication, was ordered to be depofited in the archives of the committee of correfpondence in Glaf gow, and copies of it to be pub. lished in the Edinburgh and Glasgow newspapers. It was probably about this time they opened a correfpondence with fome fanatics in London, then obfcure and little noticed, calling themselves the Proteftant Affociation, whofe object feems to have been the fame with theirs, but yet pursued with lefs violence. fures, under which the American Such was the ftate of public affairs in Ireland and Scotland. In England, befides all other or former real or fuppofed caufes of diffatisfaction, the long continuance, contrary to the expectations held out, of the American war, and its hopeleffnefs of ultimate fuccefs in the minds of many, began now to affect the feelings of the people, fo generally and powerfully, as to open a fource of difcontent, which, by degrees, feemed to grow wider, than any other of which they had hitherto complained. Many of those who had been among the foremoft in fupporting, and the warmest in approving, the measures which led to that iffue, and the principle on which they were founded, were now among the loudeft in lamenting the confequences of the war, and the most eager for its being brought to a speedy conclufion. No change, they faid, had taken place in their original principle or opinion; but they were compelled to conform their fentiments, and to fubmit, to the prefent neceffity of the times. The weakness of the counfels and meaVOL. XXIII. A Such was now the language held by no fmall number of thole, who had formerly fupported or approved of the American meafures, and by the whole of those who had conftantly oppofed or condemned them. They also uniformly coincided in another general opinion; which was, by no means to fhrink from the war with ΠΟΣ the house of Bourbon. Holding a firm confidence, that if America was in any manner detached from the quarrel, or even rendered fo far ineffective as a principal to be confidered as object, and our whole force, under the guidance of wife counfels, and the ability of thofe great com. manders, which all the world knew we poffeffed, was directed againft our natural enemies in their most vulnerable parts, they would not only be foon fickened of the part which they had taken in our domeftic conteft; but that we might alfo make fuch repri zals on them, as would afford no inconfiderable compenfation for the loffes we had suffered. [C] The ever, the measure was rejected; and in others it was not propofed. In one, where a confiderable subfcription was made, the money was tranfmitted to the difpofal of the Marine Society; as a more ufeful and conftitutional application than to the raifing of land forces. The danger held out of an invafion, and the proclamation ordering provifions to be made againft it, were feverely criticized by oppofi tion; as tending more to alarm the people than to fecure the country; as weak and indefinite in its directions, and only calculated to draw out a few miferable fubfcriptions, which might lay a claim of merit for individuals, out another for a ftrong petition but could never be a fubftantial aid to government. It was only indeed a little trick, to confound an attachment to minifters with a regard to the fafety of the country. On the other hand it was contended, that to caution without caution without alarming was a thing impoffible. That future directions, when occafions arofe, would render the proclamation more explicit. That the whole intent was to make the people alert, and to call forth the general exertion. And as for fubfcription, if it fhould fhew a confidence in administration, it was a confidence deferved, and would be repaid in the honour and fafety of the nation. In London, the propofal brought to the throne, as a previous meafure, requiring the difmiffion of incapable minifters and evil counfellors, and the employment of men in whom the nation could place a confidence, and who might be capable of retrieving its 'affairs. The final confequence was, that the firft' propofal, after much difcuffion, was rejected, and the petition then laid by. In the trading cities and towns, the money was applied to the manning of the navy; by which means, the various bounties to feamen, accumulated in fome places, particularly Liverpool, to a height before unheard of. The Eaft India company behaved with a magnificence, fuited to its greatnefs, and to the apparent profperity of its affairs. Befides a confiderable bounty for the raifing of 6000 men for the naval fervice, it made a liberal offer to the crown, which was accepted, of building and furnishing three feventy-four gun fhips, as an addition to the royal navy. The measure was not without effect. Large fums were raifed in feveral counties, and applied to the levying of independent corps or companies. About 20,000l. was fubfcribed in the city of Westminster, although fome confiderable parishes refufed to concur in the measure. Some of the inhabitants alfo of that city affociated, and were formed into The measures of home defence diftinct bodies, armed and officer- met with fimilar animadverfion. ed, with a view of being fo far The vast military force which trained in military difcipline and was kept for our internal deexercife, as would enable them to fence, a purpose to which, they act with effect, under the imme- faid, the minifter had avoweddiate neceflity of common de- ly in parliament facrificed all fence. In fome counties, how other confiderations, and parti cularly cularly hazarded the prefervation of our Weft India Ilands, was faid to be fo injudiciously difpofed, as to be rendered incompetent to its only defign. Towns of the greatest commercial confequence, and garrifons which defended the most valuable inlets and harbours, were left in a state of nakednefs. The defenceless ftate in which even the great fecurities to our trength, Portsmouth and Plymouth, were afterwards reported to be, and the confequent danger to which they were fuppofed to be expofed, upon the approach of the enemy, ferved much to corroborate thefe affertions and opinions; and even afforded a degree of ftrength to others of a fimilar nature. All these and many more topicks were agitated, and they were agitated with the greater effect, from the junction of the French and Spanish fleets in the channel. The fending the fleets out to America and the Eaft Indies, under the decided fuperio. rity of the enemy in our own feas, was much condemned.-Events, which ufually decide the publick on political measures, and the inefficiency of thofe mighty fleets, have at length anfwered all these criticisms. The proclamation which had been iffued by the commiffioners upon their departure from America, together with fome minifterial declarations in parliament, had occafioned a very general perfwafion, that as no farther lenity or forbearance was to be practifed with respect to the refractory colonies, (a miftaken tenderness, to which many were apt to attribute the fpinning out of the con teft for fo many years) fo the war would have been carried on in the enfuing campaign, with a degree of vigour and activity hitherto unknown. At the fame time, the declaration made by the American minifter in parliament, that a vast majority of the people on that continent were zealously attached to the interefts and government of Great Britain, and that even the remainder were either tired out and heartily fick of the war, or torn to pieces by factions and diffentions among themfelves, fpread an opinion no lefs general, that the defence on the one fide would be proportionally as weak and ineffective, as the coercion on the other would be powerful and conclufive. In proportion to the fanguine expectations thus raifed, was the difappointment and concern which prevailed towards the clofe of the year, as the failure of fuccefs or inactivity in the American campaign, and the lofs and danger in the Weft Indies, came by degrees to be known. The people were wearied out by the tedioufnefs and length of that war, and difgufted by the continued repetition of hopes and difappointments which they had fo long experienced. In this ftate of danger from without, and of difcontent within, the minifters feemed as little united among themfelves, as any clafs or part of the people who were committed to their government. At the fame time, the feveral parties which formed the oppofition feemed to be drawing clofer together, and to act with more apparent union and concert than hitherto they had done. [C] 2 At no no time do we remember the confidence of the people in government fo low, as it appears to have been at that period. Oct. 12th. The parliament of Ireland met before the 1779. middle of October, and foon fhewed that they had received a portion of the general fpirit of the nation. They declared in their addreffes to the throne, that nothing less than a free and unlimited trade could fave that country from ruin. The addreffes were carried up with great parade amidst the acclamations of the people. The duke of Leinfter, who commanded the Dublin volunteers, escorted the fpeaker in perfon upon that occafion; whilst the treets were lined on both fides, from the parliament houfe to the caftle, by that corps, drawn up in their arms and uniforms. That nobleman had alfo moved for the thanks of the Lords to the volunteer corps throughout the kingdom, which was carried with only one diffenting voice. The affociations and people at large, full of anger and jealoufy, manifefted ftrong apprehenfions of political duplicity on this fide of the water; and perhaps, did not place a perfect confidence in the fteadiness or perfeverance of their own parliament. They were a fraid, that they would be amufed by fair and empty promifes, until they had refigned their power along with the national purfe, by granting the fupplies for the two following years, according to the cuftomary mode in that country; when being no longer neceffary to government, a fudden prorogation would put an end to all hope of, at least, amicable redress, for the prefent. Under this apprehenfion, a fhort money bill, for fix months only, by which means parliament would ftill continue indifpenfably neceffary to government, became the general cry of the nation. As this innovation upon eftablifhed form and method, was ftrongly oppofed, particularly by the court party, the Dublin mob thought it neceffary to fhew their zeal in the public caufe; they were accordingly guilty of great and violent outrages, as well in their endeavours to enforce the measure, as in their punishment of the refractory. Although the Irish parliament ufed proper meafures to express their refentment, and to maintain their dignity upon this occafion; yet many of themfelves being inclined to a vigorous proceeding, and the reft borne down by a cry almost univerfal in the nation, the reprefentatives found it at length neceffary to comply, and the short money bill was accordingly paffed on that fide. A neceffity equally convincing, fecured the paffage of that humiliating and mortifying act in England. It feemed remarkable, efpecially in a feafon of fo much difficulty and trouble, that the office of fecretary of ftate for the northern department, fhould have continued vacant for fo great a length of time, as that which elapfed from the death of the Earl of Suffolk in the beginning of the preceding month of March. Nor did the diffentions among themfelves produce any new arrange. ment in adminiftration, until the approach of the meeting of par liament, to It was the received opinion at that time, that this defection of those who formerly composed what has been called the Bedford party (which had a confiderable time before been preceded by the falling off of the Earl of Upper Offory, and others, to the oppofition) would now have become general. But the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Rigby continued in their places; and it would feem, from fubfequent appearances, as if measures had been fince taken to qualify in fome degree that difguft, which then operated on fome others. liament, when their effect became and bestowed upon the Earl of confpicuous, and continued Carlisle. operate for fome time longer. Juft at that period, the Earl of Gower, Lord prefident of the council, refigned that high office, Nov. 24th. and was fucceeded by the Earl of Bathurft. Lord Weymouth likewise refigned his office of fecretary of ftate for the fouthern department, and was fucceeded by the Earl of Hillfborough. Lord Stormont, late ambaffador at Paris, was appointed to the northern department; the bufinefs of which had been conducted by Lord Weymouth, fince the death of the Earl of Suffolk. And the old place of firft lord of trade and plantations, which had been abforbed and included in the new office of fecretary of ftate for the colonies, was now feparated, Such was in general the state of public affairs, previous to, and about the time of the meeting of parliament. CHA P. III. Speech from the throne. Addreffes. Amendment moved in the House of Commons by Lord John Cavendish. Great Debates. Strictures upon public measures in general, and upon the conduct of the preceding campaign. Able defence made by the minifter. Amendment rejected upon a divifion, Amendment in the House of Lords moved for by the Marquis of Rockingham. After long debates, rejected upon a divifion. UND NDER the circumftances which we have described, it feemed no eafy matter to determine what ground to choose, in framing a speech for the opening of parliament. This feafon of the year had generally been peculiarly favourable fince the commencement of the troubles, in the production of fome intelligence, which might ferve to bring minifters and parliament together with a face of good humour; and which might warrant in fome meafure the hold ing out of fuch a degree of expec tation with refpect to the war, and fuch a profpect of the attainment of its first and principal object at no very great diftance, as afforded encouragement to perseverance, and inducement to prefent liberality of support, But the prefent feafon was not fortunate in this refpect; and the profpect of affairs at the opening of the feffion, feemed fcarcely to afford more room for hope, than the retrofpe&t did for exultation. [C] 3 In |