Conftitution of France. Diffolution of the Convention. Treaty of Commerce figned between Great Britain and America. Defenfive Treaty between Great Britain and Ruffia. Seffion of Parliament held in Corfica. Petitions from the Cities of London, York, Norwich, &c. against the War. Disturbances in the City of Westminster. PopGun Plot revived. Popular Meetings attended by valt Multitudes at Chalk-Farm, &c.

AT the conclufion of the year 1794, the French, after

repelling with heroic courage the early attack of the allied powers upon their northern frontier, found themselves in the poffeffion of the whole of Flanders and Brabant. The Auftrians were driven by them, with dreadful flaughter, across the Meufe, and the English and Dutch beyond the Waal; and they only waited for the setting-in of the frost, to pass the great rivers into the territory of the United Provinces. On the fide of Germany they had conquered the three ecclefiaftical electorates of Mentz, Treves, and Cologne; the principality of Liege; the duchies of Cleves, Juliers, and Deux-Ponts; the bishoprics of Spires and Worms; the far greater part of the dominions of the elector-palatine; and, in general, all the Hither Germany bounded by the Rhine. On the fide of Italy they occupied the duchy of Savoy and a great part of Piedmont, the city and county of Nice, and the principality of Monaco. On that of Spain, the greater part of the frontier provinces of Biscay and Catalonia, with their ports, cities, magazines, arfenals, and founderies. The Spanish armies had been defeated in many bloody fucceffive contefts; no military force could now be collected in any degree competent to encounter the republican troops in the field; and the Catholic king, trembling upon his throne, feemed already to anticipate the horrors of an approaching revolution. The territories fubdued by the arms of the republic were

computed

computed to contain thirteen millions of inhabitants: and in twenty-feven pitched battles, befides an innumerable multitude of inferior actions, they had flain 80,000 of their enemies, and taken more than 90,000 prisoners; also immenfe quantities of ammunition and ftores, with 3,800 pieces of cannon.

On the 30th of December, 1794, the parliament of Great Britain was convened, when the monarch, whose natural beneficence of difpofition and undeviating rectitude of intention were rendered wholly unavailing by the evil counsels of men, untaught by experience, and now grown obftinate in error, hesitated not to inform the two houses, "that, notwithstanding the difappointments and reverfes which the allied armies had experienced in the courfe of the last campaign, he retained a firm conviction of the neceflity of perfifting in a vigorous profecution of the just and necessary war in which the nation was engaged."-By way of encouragement to his faithful parliament, nevertheless, his majefty was pleased to remark, "that, in confidering the fituation of their enemies, they would not fail to obferve that the efforts which had led to their fucceffes, and the unexampled means by which alone thofe efforts could have been fupported, have produced among themselves the pernicious effects which were to be expected; and that every thing which had paffed in the interior of the country had shown the progreffive and rapid decay of their resources, and the inftability of every part of that violent and unnatural system, which is equally ruinous to France and incompatible with the tranquillity of other nations.”—His majesty farther declared, "that he should omit no opportunity of concerting the operations of the next campaign with fuch of the powers of Europe as were impressed with the fame sense of the neceffity of vigor and exertion. He mentioned his acceptance of the crown and fovereignty of Corfica; he announced to them the happy event of the marriage of his fon, the prince of Wales, with the princefs

Caroline,

Caroline, daughter of the duke of Brunfwic; and he concluded with exprefling his confident hope, that, under the protection of PROVIDENCE, and with conftancy and perfeverance on our part, the principles of ficial order, of morality and religion, would ultimately be fuccefsful; and that his faithful people would be rewarded for their present exertions and facrifices by the deliverance of Europe from the greateft danger with which it had been threatened fince the eftablishment of civilized fociety."

Addreffes being brought forward, in the ufual ftyle of complaifance, an amendment was propofed in the house of peers by the earl of Guildford, who, at the clofe of a fpecch of excellent fenfe and found reasoning, moved "that his majesty be requested and advised by that house to take the earliest means of securing a peace, and that no obftacle might arife from the nature of the French government. Holland," his lordship affirmed, " could only be faved by a peace and he urged the impracticability of attaining what appeared to be the prefent object of the war, the dictating of a government.to France. In military operations, and in political negotiations, the ministry had equally failed; and, as he had never been satisfied of the wisdom of entering into the war, he could not now admit the neceffity of perfevering in it."-The marquis of Lanfdown declared," that he could fee no difficulty in treating with France at the prefent period, and adverted with contempt. to the old and hacknied objection that there was no power exifting there to treat with.. When perfons wanted to make up a quarrel, when there was a fincere defire for reconciliation on both fides, the means of effecting it would always be found. France, amidst all its change of parties, had not falfified its engagements, fince the revolution, with any foreign ftate." The amendment was, after a spirited debate, rejected by a majority of 107 to 12 voices only.

VOL. III.

M

The

The debate on the fame subject, in the house of commons, excited ftill more of the public attention. No fooner was the addrefs read, than Mr. Wilberforce, an intimate friend of the minifter, and who had hitherto warmly fupported him in all his measures, rofe and objected to it, as pledging the house to profecute the war till there was a counter-revolution in France. He obferved,

that there was nothing in his majesty's speech in the leaft pacificatory; although the Jacobine fyftem, fo hoftile to this country, was deftroyed, and there appeared an assumption at least of moderation on the part of the new rulers of that country. The confederacy against France also was now diffolved, and her internal diforders appeafed. How then could we conquer a people who had resisted with fuch fuccefs, when affailed by the combined force of Europe from without, and when diftracted with infurrections from within? The retrospect of our affairs was bad, but the profpect before us was ftill worfe. Like the waves of the ocean, the armies of France feem rapidly overthrowing every thing that stands in their way. Regardless of flighter differences, they look merely to the Convention, and thought themselves bound to adhere to what they perceived would alone keep the country together. This circumstance it was which had first staggered his opinion with relation to the probability of ultimate fuccefs in this conteft. He was well aware of the impoffibility of forcing a government upon France, when France was united in opinion and in act; and he fcrupled not to add, that, though a friend to monarchy, he did not think that a monarchy would be the fitteft form of government for France, in prefent circumftances, as the current of prejudice fet fo ftrongly against it. Mr. Wilberforce faid, he did not think the country would be at all debafed by a declaration for peace. True magnanimity consisted in acting, with propriety under every circumstance, refolutely determining to change the mode of conduct whenever it is required by an alteration in the ftate

ftate of affairs. Those who thought it so easy to effect a counter-revolution in France fhould recollect that revolutionary principles had now been fix years prevalent in that country, and that a new generation was rifing up who had been educated in and familiarized to them. Equitable proposals for a negotiation would at all events be beneficial to this kingdom. If rejected, every perfon would unite with government in carrying on with vigor what would then be a just and neceffary war." Mr. Wilberforce concluded a speech, candid from its acknowledgment of error, and impreffive because it applied itself to the common sense and common feelings of his auditors, with moving an amendment to the address fimilar in purport to that of the earl of Guildford. In thefe fentiments he was fupported very ftrongly by several most respectable independent members of the house, who had hitherto voted with adminiftration. Mr. Bankes faid, "the expectation of overturning the French republic was, in his opinion, abfurd; and if we were not to treat with France till the overthrow of that kind of government, the war might continue for ever."-Sir Richard Hill strongly recommended peace; or, if that were unattainable, at least the withdrawment of our troops from the continent. The object of the continental war had been stated in one word— SECURITY. If it were asked what had we gained by that war, fhort as had been the period of its duration, it might be, anfwered in one word-RUIN."

Mr. Pitt arofe in vifible emotion to vindicate the language and fentiments contained in the addrefs; and, in the course of a florid and plaufible fpeech, put in practice all his infidious arts to make the worse appear the better reason, and thus, at the critical moment of refolve, to perplex and dafh matureft counsels. "His majesty's fpeech," Mr. Pitt affirmed, " did not pledge the houfe never to make peace with the republican government of France, though he had no idea of a fecure peace till