make a furrender of their charters and municipal documents. Provinces which poffeffed a right of taxing themselves, renounced that right and their ftates together; and the parliaments were annihilated as well as the provincial ftates. All fees and taxes to the court of Rome for ever abolished Some obfervations on the precipitancy, with which fixteen lars of the utmost moment were hurried through in one night; as well as on the bad effect of paling laws by acclamation. Nobility and clergy in the provinces highly difcontented with the conduct of their delegates on the 4th of Auguft, in making fuch vaft facrifices without their conjent. Several members of the affembly likewife repent their own conceffions, and become equally dissatisfied. Landed proprietaries at length take up arms in their own defence, and reprefs the barbarous ravages of the peasantry. King appoints a new miniftry, with the approbation of the affembly. Diftreffed state of the public, through the failure of the taxes. Loans attempted and fail. Scheme of patriotic contributions adopted. Em King and queen fend their gold and filver plate to the mint. Patriotic dona< tions incapable of relieving the neceffities of the ftate. Extraordinary tax decreed, under the name of a patriotic contribution, by which each man was to contribute one fourth of his annual revenue to the exigencies of the fate. Loud complaints and violent animofities excited by this partial tax. barraffments and difficulties which the national affembly experienced in framing the new declaration of rights. Great debates upon the propriety or inexpedience of adopting the measure. Declaration at length paffed and promulgated. Saying of Mirabeau upon the fubje&t. Aflembly divided into a number of fections or committees, to each of which is affigned fome specified part of the new conftitution, on which it is to make a report. Grand question arifes, What share of authority it was fitting the king fhould pos Jefs in the new legislature? This operates like a touchfton in trying every man's principles, and compelling him to an open avowal of them. Afjembly arranged, face to face, in two great hoftile divifions, apparently equal in ftrength and numbers. Violent contefts enfue, and are fo long continued, that the people avithout, and at length the whole nation, become parties in them. State of the parties within and without, who thus divided the affembly and the nation. King's veto, or negative, with respect to the paing of laws, one of the fubjects most violently and generally agitated. Populace of Paris interfere openly in the question of the veto while the crowds in the galleries of the affembly become fo daringly audacious, as by bootings and revilings to endeavour to drown the voices, and by infults and menaces to deter from giving their votes all those members who Supported the rights of the crown. Long lifts of members who were marked for profcription, and deftined to be victims to the vengeance of the people, published in Paris, and diftributed through every part of the kingdom. Popular fermentation in Paris rifen nearly to its highest pitch. The notorious N 4 St. St. Huruge, attempts to have the king, the dauphin, and the national affembly, brought to Paris; but by the spirited exertions of La Fayette, Bailly, and the Hotel de Ville, the leaders are committed to prifon, and the fedition quelled. Heavy complaints made to the affembly by several of its members of thofe treafonable attempts against the freedom of the king, as well as of that body felf; and likewife of the lifts of profcription which were publifhed, and of the incendiary letters by which they were continually menaced with deftruction; but Mirabeau with his faction turn the whole complaint into ridicule. Numberless charges of fuppofed plots and confpiracies nos made against the royalists; which effectually anfer one purpose, in exciting a general alarm and ferment through the nation. The Parifians, in particular, become again dangerously outrageous, and every thing bears the fame afpect as in the preceding months of June and July. In this ftate of affairs, the king, ever wishing to preferve or restore tranquillity, fends Neckar with a propofal to the affembly, declaring that he would be contented with a fufpenfive veto, whofe operation should not last longer than one or two legijlatures. This propofal received with fatisfaction; and it was decreed, that the royal fufpenfion fhould continue during two legislatures. Great debates on the question, whether the national affembly should be composed of ene or two chambers. Question at length carried for a fingle chamber by a pro digious majority. Members obliged to procure certificates how they had given their votes, to preferve their boufes and families from deftruction. Affembly decree, that the legislative body shall be renewed every two years by elections. Receive a letter from the king, containing his objections to certain parts of fome of the new laws, which occafions much difcontent in the affembly. King obliged to give his fanction fimply, and without comment, to the laws in queftion. Things tending fast to an extraordinary crifis both in Paris and Verfailles. Affembly, however, confirm the hereditary fucceffion of the crown; and declare the king's perfon facred and inviolable. Arrival of the regiment of Flanders at Versailles, the caufe or pretence of the enfuing mischiefs. Entertainment given by the officers of the king's life guards to thofe of the new carps, productive of much licentiousness and folly. This banquet occafions a violent ferment both at Paris and Verfailles. Numerous army of women, after plundering the town boufe, and supplying themselves with arms and artillery, march from Paris to Verfailles. Are followed by unnumbered bands of ruffians. And not long after by La Fayette, at the head of a confiderable army of the national guards. Events of the 5th and 6th of October. King and royal family led captive to Paris. Tumult in Paris, and the murder of a baker, foon after the arrival of the national affembly, occafion the greatest alarm and apprehenfion in that body. Severe decree paffed, by which the magistrates are empowered to proclaim martial law, and to proceed to the last extremities in repreffing the future outrages of the mob. La Fayette procures the Duke of Orleans' departure to England. [27 CHAP. Effects of the tranfactions in France upon the minds of the people of GreedBritain. General difpofition in their favour at the commencement of the revolution. Various political fpeculations thereon. The evils which followed forefeen by more accurate obfervers, and particularly foretold in the celebrated work of Mr. Burke. The interest which the French leaders had in involving the furrounding ftates in the fame diftractions. Their attempts, and the effects of them, particularly in Great-Britain and Ireland. Meeting of parliament. Speech from the throne. Addrefs voted in both houfes without debate. At of indemnity relative to the order of council for flopping the exportation of corn. Militar, eftimates animadverted upon by Sir Grey Cooper, Mr. Marfham, and Mr. Fox; and defended by Mr. Grenville and Mr. Pitt. Some expreflions of Mr. Fox, applauding the French revolution, and the conduct of the French army on that occafion, cenfured by Col. Phipps. The fame fubject taken up by Mr. Burke. His peech upon the spirit and confequences of that event, and his regret at differing in opinion from Mr. Fox. His opinion concerning the conduct of the French army, and concerning the comparison between the French revolution, and the revolution of 1688. His fpeech received with general applause. Mr. Fox, in reply, laments the difference of opinion between them. His encomium upon Mr. Burke. Explains his own fentiments refpe&ting the French revolution. Prefefes his political principles. His opinion of the revolution of 1688. His apology for the excefjes of the French patriots. Mr. Sheridan's jpeech upon the jame occafion. Declares his entire difference of opinion from Mr. Burke. Defends the French revolution. Apologizes for its excefjes. Charges Mr. Burke with being an advocate for dejpotifm. Compliments the marquis de la Fayette, and other French patricts. His opinion of the revolution of 1688. Mr. Pitt, and other members, rife to express their obligations and gratitude to Mr. Burke for the fentiments he had expreffed during the debate. [62 CHA P. IV. The diffenters encouraged, by the small majority by which the motion for the repeal of the test and corporation act was rejected the last feffion, to renew their application. Steps taken by them to fupport it. Alarm of the friends of the established church. Mr. Fox's fpeech upon moving for the repeal. His general principles of toleration. His opinion of the impolicy and injuftice of the teft laws. Argues from the merits of the diffenters. Urges the example of France. Cenfures the conduct of the bishop of St. David's. Concludes with declaring his determination to fupport the question he had brought furward upon every future occafion. Motion oppofed by Mr. Pitt. He objects to its extent, and the principles on which it was fupported. Is of opinion it might affect the fecurity of the church. He confiders the teft acts as proper reftraints reftraints on the prerogative of the crown. Animadverts on the attempts of the diffenters to influence members of parliament. Thinks it would be dan- gerous to trust them with power. And that tefts, the feverity of which could be occafionally mitigated, were necessary to enable government to ward off danger in cafes of neceffity. Mr. Burke concurs with Mr. Fox in his prin- cipes of toleration; but thinks the diffenters, at the prefent moment, not in- titled to indulgence. Charges them with factious and dangerous practices, and reads various papers in fupport of his charge. Suggests the propriety of a new teft, and of a committee to enquire into their recent conduct. Mr. Fox's motion rejected by a majority of 294 to 105. Motion by Mr. Flood for a reform in parliament. States the inadequacy of the prefent mode of reprefentation. Propofes one hundred additional members to be chofen by re- fident boufekeepers. His arguments to prove the neceffity of a reform. An- fwers objections. The motion oppojed by Mr. Wyndham. He afferts, that the bouje of commons, as at prejent conftituted, is adequate for all beneficial purposes. Anfwers the objections relative to the American war. Deprecates innovations founded upon theories. Objects to the time as dangerous. Mr. Pitt objects to the motion as ill-timed. Sir James Johnstone's objections. Mr. Fox fupports the motion, and answers the objection of its being ill- timed. Mr. Burke in reply. Other speakers on both fides the queftion. Motion by Mr. Montagu for increafing the falary of the speaker of the boufe growing growing profperity of the country. Remarks on the budget by Mr. Sheridan. Proceedings of the national affembly after the new law had established fome 2 Nation, |