Retrofpe&ive view of the affairs of Europe in the year 1779. State of fufpenfion of arms published, and the Congress for negociating a peace affembles at Tefchen. Treaty of peace concluded. Differences between Rufia and the Porte, threaten a and a nerv convention concluded, under the mediation of the French mi- nifler. Naval preparations by Spain. Opens the war with the ficze of Gibraltar. France. Confequences of the appointment of M. Necker to the government of the French finances. Successful expedition to the coaft of Africa. Ineffectual attempt upon the island of Jerfey. Threat of an invasion, and great preparations apparently for that purpose. French first fails from Breft, and proceeds to the confts of Spain. Com- bined fleets of France and Spain enter the British channel, and appear in great force before Plymouth. Enemy quit the channel; return again; at length finally quit the British coafts, and proceed to Breft. State of public offairs previous to the meeting of parliament. VA Commercial, and non-confumption agreements. French invafion threat ened. Military affociations. People become strongly armed. Exemplary conduct of the affociators. Prudent measures of government in that country. General demand of a free and unlimited commerce. Difcontents in Scotland, under an apprehenfion of a relaxation of the popery laws. Outrages in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Subfcriptions for raifing troops, and other public purposes. Eaft India company grant bounties for raifing 6000 feamen, and undertake to build three ships of the line, as an augmentation to the royal navy. State of parties. Changes in adminiftration. Meeting of the Irish parliament. [15 CHA P. III. Speech from the throne. Addreffes. Amendment moved in the House of Commons by Lord John Cavendish. Great Debates. Strictures upon public meafures in general, and upon the conduct of the preceding campaign. Able defence made by the minifter. Amendment rejected upon a division. Amendment in the House of Lords moved for by the Marquis of Rockingham. After long debates, rejected upon a divifion." CHA P. IV. [37 Vote of cenfure against minifters, relative to their conduct with respect to Ireland, moved by the Earl of Shelburne. Debates on the question. Part taken by the late lord prefident of the council. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Similar motion in the House of Commons by the Earl of Upper Oory. Defence of adminiftration. Animadverfion. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Motion by the Duke of Richmond, for an aconomical reform of the civil lift establishment. Motion, after confiderable debates, rejected upon a divifion. Minifter opens bis propof tions, in the House of Commons, for affording relief to Ireland. Agreed to without oppofition. Tavo bills accordingly brought in, and paffed before the recefs. Third bill to lie open till after the holidays. Earl of Shelburne's motion relative to the extraordinaries of the army; and introductory to a farther reform in the public expenditure. Motion rejected on a divifion. Notice given of a fecond intended motion, and the lords fummoned for the 8th of February. Letters of thanks from the city of London to the Duke of Richmond and to the Earl of Shelburne, for their attempts to introduce a reform in the public expenditure; and fimilar letters fent to his royal highness the Duke of Cumberland, and to all the other lords who supported the two late motions. Mr. Burke giva notice of his plan of public reform and œconomy, which he proposes bringing forward after the recess. CHAP. V. [57 County meetings, petitions, and affociations. York leads the way. Great meeting at that city. Committee appointed. Some account of the petition from that county, which becomes a model to others. Sir George Sa ville prefents the petition from the county of York. Debates on that fubjet. Jamaica petition prefented. Mr. Burke's plan of economical reform. Bills brought in upon that fyftem. Earl of Shelburne's motion (pursuant to the notice given before the recefs) for a committee of both houses, to enquire into the public expenditure. Motion feconded by the Earl of Coventry. Oppofed. Debates. Strictures with respect to the county meetings and petitions. Marquis of Caermarthen explains the causes of his refignation. Strictures on the conduct of a noble lord at the head of a great department. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Unusual strength shewn by the oppofition oz this divifion. [85 CHA P. VI. Colonel Barre gives notice of his intended propofitions relative to a committee of accounts. Scheme approved of by the minifter. Sir George Saville's motion, for an account of patent places and falaries, agreed to. Second motion, for an account of penfions, during pleasure or otherwise, oppofed. Debate broken off by the illness of the fpeaker. Refumed in the following week. Amendment, moved by the minifter. Long debates. Minifter's amendment carried, on an exceedingly clofe divifion. Jamaica petition prefented in the House of Lords, and the fubject ftrongly enforc ed, by the Marquis of Rockingham. Thanks of the lords and commons to Admiral Sir George Rodney, for his late eminent fervices. Attempt by the oppofition in both houfes, to obtain fome mark of royal favour for that commander. Scheme, for a commiffion of accounts, announced by the minifter, in the House of Commons. Strictures on that business. Mr. Burke's eftablishment bill read a first and fecond time without oppofition; debate and divifion, relative only to time, on its committal. Motion by the Earl of Shelburne, relative to the removal of the Marquis of Carmarthen, and the Earl of Pembroke, from the lieutenancy of their refpective counties. Queftion much agitated. Motion rejected on a divifion. [114 CHA P. VII. Order of the day for going into a committee on Mr. Burke's ftabl shment bill. Queftion of competency farted. Debated. Oppofition infill, that the decifion of that question should take place of the order of the day. Queftion for the order of the day, carried, upon a very close divifion. Debates in the committee on the first clause of the establishment bill, for abolishing the office of third fecretary of fate. Claufe sejreted, after very long debates, upon a divifion, by a very small majority. Long debates in the committee, on a fubfequent day, upon that clause of the eftabliment bill, for abolishing the board of trade. Question for abolishing that board, carried upon a divifion. Difference between the fpeaker and the minifier. Mr. Fullarton's complaint of the Earl of Shelburne. Iffus of that affair in Hyde Park. Notice given by Sir James Lowther, of an intended motion, for preferving the freedom of debate in parliament. Subject confiderably agitated. Warmly refented without diors. At dreffes of congratulation to the Earl of Shelburne on his recovery. Don ger to which Mr. Fox and he had been expofed, attributed to their zeal in the fervice of their country. Contractors bill brought in by Sir Philip Jennings Clerke, and carried through the House of Commons without a divifion. Great Debates on the claufe in Mr. Burke's establishment bill, for abolibing the offices of treasurer of the chamber, and others. Queftion, on the first member of the clause, loft upon a divifion. Succeeding queflions rejected. Debates on the minifer's motion for giving noli e to the Eaft India company, of the paying off their capital flock at the end of three years. Previous question moved, and left on a divifion. Motion against receiving the report of the new taxes, until the petitions of the people avere confidered, rejected upon a divifin by a great majority. Earl f Effingham's motion in the House of Lords, for a list of places, penfions, c. held by members of that house, rejected upon a divifion. CHA P. VIII. [134 Third Army eftimates. Debates on the fubject of the new corps. Divifion. Queflion carried. Confideration of the petitions. Great debates in the Committee. Part taken by the Speaker. Amendment to the motion, propofed and agreed to. Mr. Dunning's amended motion, carried, upon a divifion, in a very full house. very full house. Second motion, agreed to. motion, by Mr. T. Pitt, agreed to. Houfe refumed. Mr. Fox's 20tion, for immediately receiving the report from the committee, oppofed, but carried. Refolutions, reported, received, and confirmed by the Houfe. Mr. Dunning's motion (on a following day) in the committee, for fecur ing the independence of parliament, agreed to. Second motion, for dif qualifying perfons holding certain offices, from fitting in that houfe, car. ried, upon a divifion, by a majority of two only. Mr. Crewe's bill, for excluding revenue officers from voting on the election of members of parliament, rejected, on a divifion. Great debates in the House of Lords, upon the fecond reading of the contractors bill. The bill rejected, upon a divifion, by a confiderable majority. Proteft. Confequences of the Speaker's illness. Pofiponed motion of Mr. Dunning's, for an addrefs, to prevent diffolving the parliament, or proroguing the prefent feffion, until proper measures ghoul.. be taken for correcting the evils complained of in the petitions of the people, brings out long debates; but is rejected by a confiderable majority, in an exceedingly full house. Disorder upor Mr. Fox's rifing to speak, after the divifion. Nature of his speech. Reply, by the minifter. Great debates upon the claufe in Mr. Burke's efablishment bill, for abolishing the office of the Great Wardrobe, &c. Claule rejected upon a divifion. Succeeding claufe, for abolishing the Board of Works, rejected upon a divifion. Debates upon the minifter's bill for a commiffion of accounts. Clofe divifion upon a queftion in the committee. Bill at length puffed. Debates on Colonel Barre's motions, relative to the extraordinaries of the army. First motion rejected, upon a divifion, by a great majority. Succeeding refolutions rejted. General Contay's bill, for restoring peace with America, difpofed of, 6 upon a divifion divifion, by a motion for the order of the day. Motion tending to an en- CHAP. IX. Sir George Rodney proceeds to Gibraltar, in his way to the Weft Indies. dore Fielding. Count Byland comes to Spithead, with his fquadron, and convoy. Confequences of that, and of other precedent and fubfe- quent meafures. Ruffian manifefio. Northern neutrality. Royal pro- clamation in London, fufpending certain ftipulations in favour of the Jubjects of the States General. Retrospective view of affairs in Ame- rica and the West Indies, in the year 1779. Advantages derived by the Spanish commanders, from their early knowledge of the intended rup- ture. Don Bernardo de Galvez, fubdues the British fettlements on the Miffiffippi. Sullivan's fuccessful expedition against the Indians of the fix nations. Some obfervations on the policy of that people, and on the flate of culture and improvement, which the Americans "discovered in their country. Expeditions from Jamaica to the Bay of Honduras, and the Mofquito fhort. Fortress of Omoa and Spanish regifter ships taken. Vigilant and fuccessful conduct of Admiral Hyde Parker, on the leeward СНАР. Х. Rhode Iftand evacuated. Design against New York fruftrated by D'Eftaing's failure at Savannah. Expedition againft Charles Town. Sir Henry |