of doing, to the direct overthrow or removal of every charge or cenfure which had been thrown out, or infinuated, against the conduct of the commander; leaving, how. ever, the question of opinion neceffarily open, whether his orders for proceeding to Albany were peremptory or conditional; and, perhaps, leaving likewife fome doubts behind, with refpect both to the defign and to the mode of conducting the expedition under Colonel Baume, to Bennington. In other matters it feems conclufive; and particularly detects two falfehoods, at the beginning of this enquiry in full credit and vigour; the one, that General Phillips, at the time of the convention, offered to force his way, with a fpecified part of the army, from Saratoga, back to Ticonderago; the other, that the late gallant General Frazer had expreffed the utmost dif. approbation to the meafure of paff ing the Hudfon's River. The witneffes were generally of opinion, from what they faw and heard of the temper and language of the troops, that nothing lefs than the palling of that river, and advancing to fight the enemy, could have fatisfied the army, or preferved the general's character with it; and that even, after all the misfortunes that happened, it was ftill univerfally confidered as a matter of neceffity which he could not have avoided; or which, if he had, that it would have been fuch a failure as he never could have forgiven to himself, nor been able to juftify to his country. Their teftimony went likewife fully and decifively to the fubverfion of that injurious flander, which it was once a fashion withfo me perfons high in rank and office here to throw out, relative to a fuppofed natural deficiency of spirit which they attributed to the Americans. Fully mafters and judges of the fubject, and poffeffing fentiments more liberal and generous, these officers fcorned to depreciate the character of an enemy, from any refentment for his fair hoftility; and declared freely, that the Ame ricans fhewed a refolution, perfe verance, and even obftinacy in action, which rendered them by no means unworthy of a conteft with the brave troops to whom they were oppofed. Written evidence was alfo produced, and fupported, that the number of the rebel army, at the time of the furrender, amounted to 19,000 men, of which thirteen or fourteen thousand were men actually carrying mufkets. The examination of General Burgoyne's witneffes being closed, the American minifter opened the counter evidence, which was brought to oppofe that given in favour of Lord and Sir William Howe. The only witneffes, which it was thought expedient or neceffary to examine on that fide, of thofe whofe names we have stated, were Major General Robertfon, Deputy Governor of New York; and Mr. Jofeph Galloway. None of the officers ordered to attend, except the general abovementioned, were called upon. Mr. Galloway had been an American lawyer, and a member of the firft Congrefs; and was one of those that had come over to Sir William Howe at the time when the rebel caufe feemed nearly ruined, by his great fucceffes at New York, and Long Ifland, towards the close of the year 1776, and when that violent con tention 1 і HISTORY OF EUROPE. tention of parties broke out at Philadelphia, which we have formerly taken notice of. The general had immediately afforded a liberal provifion for this laft wit nefs, (from whofe fervices he expected fome confiderable advan. tages, in which, however, he declared himself difappointed) and afterwards advanced him to lucrative, as well as flattering civil employments. The general tendency of this evidence was to overthrow, invalidate, or weaken, the teftimony already given in favour of the commanders. And the points which it principally laboured to establish for that purpofe, and for the vindication of the minifters, were the following. The vast majority, who, from principle and difpofition, were zealously attached to the government of this country, and confequently enemies to the conduct and tyranny of the ruling powers; this was rated by the first witnefs at two-thirds, and by the fecond at four-fifths, of the whole people on that continent. That if a proper ufe had been made of this favourable difpofition of the multitude, it might have been directed to fuch effential purposes as would have brought the war to a fpeedy and happy conclufion. That the force fent out from this country was fully competent to the attainment of its object, by the total reduction of the rebellion, and the confequent recovery of the colonies. That the country of America was not in its nature particularly strong, much lefs impracticable, with refpect to military operations. That the face of a country being covered with wood, afforded no impediment to the [151 march of an army in as many co lumns as they pleafed. That the British troops poffeffed a greater fuperiority over the Americans, in their own favourite mode of bushfighting, and the detached fervice in woods, than in any other whatever. That armies might carry nineteen days provifion on their backs, and confequently need not be deterred from the undertaking of expeditions through the want of thofe means of conveyance which are now deemed indifpenfible. That the rebel force, both with refpect to number and to ef fective ftrength, was, at the most interefting periods, if not always, much inferior to what was reprefented. And to a general condemnation of the fouthern expedition, along with an endeavour to fhew the great advantages which would have refulted in that cam. paign, if Sir William Howe had taken poffeffion of the North River, and directed his operations towards Albany. Several other more direct charges or accufations were brought against the military conduct of the brother commanders, which were chiefly undertaken by Mr. Galloway. Particularly with refpect to the going round by the Chefapeak, inftead of up the Delaware, on the fouthern expedition; the want of fufficient difpatch and vigour in the purfuit of the rebels from Brunswick across the Jerfeys, in the year 1776, to which their efcape was attributed; the not cutting off Washington at Trenton, before he could cross the River, which was contended to be practicable; and the not paffing the Delaware, and proceeding to Philadelphia at that time, which, it was afferted, would [K] 4 have 1 have put an end to the war; along with a number of other matters tending to the fame purpose. On this the oppofition from time to time remarked, that the greater part of thefe gentlemen's teftimony was founded upon private opinion, hearfay knowledge, intelligence from abfent or unknown perfons, and strong affertions of facts, unfupported by any collateral evidence. It was alfo remarked by them, that the only officer produced had been very little, if at all, out of our garrifons, fince the commencement of the war, and was therefore little qualified either to give fatisfactory information relative to the difpofition of a people with whom he was fo little converfant, or to give critical opinion on military measures which he had never feen. As to the witness of a civil defcription, they faid it was fingular, that, although bred a lawyer, and habituated to bufinefs, he could fcarcely be brought to recollect the fmalleft part of his own conduct in the moft trying, fignal, and poffibly dangerous fituation of his life, and the moft confpicuous fphere of action to which he had ever been exalted, when a member of the Congrefs; and yet, that the fame man, a total stranger to the profefion, and only flying for refuge to the British army, fhould all at once acquire an accuracy with refpect to military details, and the complicated bufinefs of a camp, which could fcarcely be expected from a quarter-maftergeneral, and as fuddenly become poffeffed, along with the minutia, of that nice difcernment and critical judgment in the general conduct, and all the great operations of war, which the oldest and most experienced commanders do not often pretend to. The examination of these two witneffes was fpun out, by the intervention of bufinefs, and other means, to the end of June. In the mean time, as it was uncertain what farther evidence might be called on that fide, and the feffion being fo near a conclufion, Sir William Howe requested, that, in confequence of the attack made upon his character in the evidence of Mr. Galloway, a day might be appointed, on which he should be permitted to bring witneffes, in order to controvert and difprove thofe charges. This was refused by the minifers, and did not feem to be approved of by the Houfe, who had got tired of the business and befides faw no poffibility of bringing it to a conclufion during the short remainder of the feffion. The former faid, that the general had already met with every indulgence he could reasonably expect; but that the calling in of new witneffes at that time could not be admitted; that he, however, had it ftill in his power to cross-examine Mr. Galloway as much as he pleased. This was far from affording any fatisfaction to the other fide, who complained loudly, that, after the attacks made upon the general's character, the refufing to hear evidence in his vindication was no lefs than a denial of justice. They were, however, obliged to fubmit to what they could not remedy. The committee was refumed on the 29th of June; but an advantage being taken of fome little delay, (which he ftated not to be ahove a quarter of an hour) in Sir Willia Howe's not being immediately prefent for the cross-examination of the witnefs, the com mittee was fuldenly diffolved. without coming to a fingle relo lution upon any part of the bufi. nefs. CHA P. VIII. Two enquiries in the Houfe of Lords, tending to the fame object, and carried on through the greater part of the feffion. Enquiry into the fate of the navy, and the conduct of the admiralty, inftituted by the Earl of Bristol. Motions for naval papers, bring out much debate, and are rejected upon a divifion. Motion by the Earl of Bristol, for the removal of the firft Lord of the admiralty from his employment. Great Debates. Motion rejeded upon a divifion. Protefts. Enquiry into the government and management of Greenwich Hofpital, conducted by the Duke of Richmond. Moves for a compenfation to Captain Baillie, late Lieutenant-Governor of Greenwich Hofpital. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Minority Lords quit the Houfe. Refolutions in vindication of the Earl of Sandwich. Hard cafe of Captain Baillie. Marquis of Rockingham endeavours to bring forward an enquiry into the affairs of Ireland. After feveral ineffectual attempts, a kind of compromife takes place, referring the bufinefs of that country to the enfuing feffion. Mr. Townshend's motion to defer the prorogation of parliament, rejected upon a divifion. Spanish manifefto. Addrefs from the Commons. Second addrefs moved by Lord John Cavendish. Motion of adjourn ment carried upon a divifion. Amendment to the addrefs of the Lords, moved by the Earl of Abingdon, and rejected upon a divifion. Second amendment propofed by the Duke of Richmond; rejected upon a divifion, after a confiderable debate. Bil brought in by the minifter for doubling the militia, after much debate and propofed amendment, paffed by the Com mons. Indemnity bill like wife paffed. Militia bill meets with great op pofition in the Houfe of Lords. Indemnity bill much oppofed; but carried through. Protefs. Militia bill deprived of its principal effective powers, and returned to the Commons. Debate on a point of privilege. Bill paffed. Speech from the throne. URING thefe tranfactions Bristol, which went directly and DURING the tranfaction, Browedly to the crimination in the the lords were principally taken up with two enquiries of an unusual caft and nature; and both tending directly, or indirectly, to the fame object, to the crimination or cenfure of the first lord of the admiraity. The first of these was an enquiry inftituted into the state of the navy, and the conduct of the admiralty, by the late Earl of firft inftance, and to the removal in the fecond, of that nobleman from the very high and important department in which he had fo long prefided. In the conduct and pur fuit of this enquiry and object, he was profeffionally affifted by the Duke of Bolton, and ably fupported by the Duke of Richmond, and fome other of the most active lords lords of the oppofition. The induftry, patience, and conftancy, with which he applied himself to fo complicated and laborious a bufinefs, encumbered with frequent and tiresome calculation, and with tedious comparative estimates, at a time when he was finking under the preffure of various infirmities, and a victim to the most excruciating diseases, could not but excite admiration; and indeed, however right, or otherwife, his opinions might have been founded, afforded no fmall indication,that, in a season and fituation which feemed fo effectually to fhut out all perfonal confiderations, his conduct muft have proceeded from the most disinterested and genuine patriotism. Although the noble earl had on the first day of the feffion given fome intimation of his defign, yet bis fubfequent state of health was fo deplorable, that, on the 19th of February, the Duke of Richmond was obliged to make the motions, in his name and behalf, for the bringing forward of those papers which were immediately neceflary to the enquiry. The demand of papers, tending, it was faid, to expofe the ftate of the navy, and without the knowledge of any important purpofe or object in view for the juftification of fuch a meafure, being ftrongly oppofed by the court lords, the noble duke was brought to an explanation and avowal, that the abfent earl intended thofe papers, along with other materials, for laying the foundations of a public enquiry into naval affairs, and a comparifon of the prefent ftate of the navy, with that in which it had devolved from Lord Hawke, to the truft and government of the prefent firft lord of the admiralty; and thereon to ground charge of malverfation against that nobleman; with a view more particularly of opening the eyes of a great perfonage, and that he might not continue the only man in the nation, who was unacquainted with the deplorable ftate of his navy. It was, however, the 24th of March, before the Earl of Briftol was able to attend in perfon, and he was then fo feeble and broken down, as to depend only on his crutches for fupport while he was fpeaking. His fpeech did not feem the lefs vehement for his weaknefs. He affirmed, and faid he would prove, that the conduct of the noble lord at the head of the navy, with refpect to the great truft repofed in him, was highly criminal; and fuch as called aloud for the fulleft cenfure of that Houfe, and for the utmost indignation of the people. After defcribing what appeared immediately to himself as moft particularly ruinous and calamitous, in the conduct and ftate of naval affairs, he drew one confolation, he faid, from the ineffectiveness of the attempts made by the marine minifter upon the cha racter, life, and honour, of Admiral Keppel; and from the failure of thofe machiavelian arts (which, he faid, he had fo fuccefsfully employed on other occafions) when their object was to create an improper and corrupt influence among the British feamen. That noble lord, he faid, had now found by experience, that no promifes could allure, nor threats prevent them, from a performance of their duty, and the prefervation of their honour. Having been |