Mr. Fox observed, that the speech left them entirely in the dark as to the grounds of his majesty's refusal to negociate; and, after the censures thus passed on the violent and unjust conduct of France, he hoped that no imputation of a similar nature would be found chargeable on our own government. After some discussions, the addresses passed without a division. Lord Grenville, in the house of peers, reprobated, in a speech of great ability, the proceedings of ministers towards Spain. The laws of civilised war,' said his lordship, allowed no such act of violence as that which had been committed in assaulting the Spanish ships on the high seas. This had been assimilated to an embargo; but was there no difference between delaying merchant vessels, which might be delivered back, and destroying ships navigating the ocean in supposed security? Who can restore the innocent blood that has been spilt? No capture of treasure could wash away the stain thus brought upon our arms.' An amendment to the address, moved by earl Spencer, was negatived by 114 to thirty-six voices; the prince of Wales, through the medium of his proxy given to the earl of Moira, voting in the mino rity.

The supplies for the year amounted to about £44,000,000, of which £20,000,000 were raised by a loan, the subscribers to which received for £100 in money, £172 in 3 per cent. stock. Another loan of £3,500,000 was negociated for Ireland. A considerable addition was made to the war taxes, and the property tax was raised to 6 per cent. The new taxes imposed in perpetuity were estimated at £1,600,000; and the minister, while in the act of thus heavily adding to the weight of the public burdens, concluded an eloquent speech by congratulating the house on the increasing prosperity of the country.

In the course of this session proceedings were instituted against a member of administration, which for a long time engaged the public attention. In the month of April a charge was exhibited against lord Melville, first lord of the admiralty, founded on the tenth report of the commissioners of naval enquiry. It was brought before the house of commons by Mr. Whitbread, who, after referring to the act in 1785, for regulating the department of the treasurer of the navy, of which lord Melville, then occupying that post, was himself the supporter, and which advanced the salary of the place from £2000 to £4000, in lieu of all emoluments which might previously have been derived from the public money in the treasurer's hands, stated three heads of charge bearing upon him. These were: his applying the money of the public to other uses than those of the naval department; his conniving at a system of peculation in an individual (Mr. Trotter) for whose conduct he was responsible; and his having been a participator in that peculation. He concluded a speech, in which the particular circumstances of the case were laid open, by moving a number of resolutions founded upon it.

Mr. Pitt, on this occasion, objected to the method of proceeding now proposed, and thought the best course that could be pursued

would be to refer the report to a select committee. On a division of the house, there appeared for Mr. Whitbread's motion 216, against it 216, when the speaker gave his casting vote in its favor. Mr. Whitbread then moved an address to the king, requesting him to remove lord Melville from his councils and person for ever; but, at the desire of Mr. Pitt, he agreed to postpone the motion to a future day. When that day arrived the house was informed that lord Melville had resigned his office of first lord of the admiralty, and that Mr. Trotter had been dismissed. The debate then terminated in a unanimous vote, that the resolutions be laid before his majesty by the whole house. It was afterwards announced, that lord Melville's name had been erased from the list of the privy council; and Mr. Pitt assured the house there was no design of re-instating him.

His lordship now requested to be heard at the bar of the house of commons; and acknowledged having appropriated the public money intrusted to him to other public purposes, but solemnly denied having derived any benefit therefrom. He confessed, however, that he had applied the sum of £10,000 in a way which he could not reveal, consistently with private honor and public duty. When his lordship had withdrawn, Mr. Whitbread moved for his impeachment, which was negatived by a majority of 272 to 195; and an amendment moved by Mr. Bond, for a criminal prosecution, passed by the small majority of 238 to 229. His lordship's friends, however, soon after finding reason to prefer an impeachment, a motion for that purpose was made by Mr. Leycester, which, after Mr. Fox's motion for the previous question had been negatived, was carried without a division. Mr. Whitbread, accordingly, accompanied by a great number of members, on the 26th of June, impeached lord Melville, in the name of the commons of Great Britain, at the bar of the house of lords.

A singular bill was subsequently passed, to indemnify Alexander Trotter, and all others called upon to give evidence on the trial of lord Melville, from civil actions. The trial itself, however, on account of the lateness of the session, was postponed to the following year. Lord Melville was succeeded in the admiralty by Sir Charles Middleton, an officer long experienced in the department, upon whom was conferred the title of lord Barham. But the loss of so able a colleague as lord Melville caused deep and lasting chagrin to Mr. Pitt, upon whom almost the whole weight of business now devolved; and his health, previously infirm, manifestly suffered.

A petition from the Roman Catholics of Ireland, to be relieved from the civil disabilities under which they labored, was on the 10th of May introduced into the house of lords by lord Grenville, and into the commons by Mr. Fox. The principal speakers on each side took a part in the debate, but the result was a rejection of the petition in the upper house, by a majority of 178 against forty-nine; and in the commons of 336 against 124. Mr. Pitt having at this time asserted his opinion, that since the union of the

kingdoms he saw none of those dangers from granting the claims of the petitioners, which many seemed to apprehend, and that circumstances had rendered it impossible for him to bring forward the measure at the time he thought most favorable for it; added, that what those circumstances were it was neither now nor then necessary for him to explain; but, as long as they should continue to operate, he should feel it a duty, not only not to bring forward, but not to be a party in bringing forward, or in agitating this very important question. At present, he must say, that the prevailing sentiment was totally against it; and he should give a decided negative to the motion.

On the 19th of June a message from the throne was brought to parliament, the object of which was to acquaint the houses, that the communications which had taken place between his majesty and some of the continental powers had not yet been brought to such a point as to enable him to lay the result before parliament; but that, conceiving it might be of essential importance that he should have it in his power to avail himself of any favorable conjuncture for forming such a concert with other powers, as might afford the best means of resisting the inordinate ambition of France, his majesty recommended to parliament to consider of making provision for entering into such engagements as the exigency of affairs might require. The result of this message was the grant of a sum not exceeding £3,500,000, for that specific purpose. On the 12th of July parliament was prorogued by commission.

The public events of this year place it altogether among the most interesting in the history of the late war. In France the greatest activity was exerted in preparations for the menaced invasion of England. The flotilla of Boulogne was continually augmenting, and the troops encamped in its vicinity were accumulated to upwards of 100,000 men, perfectly disciplined, and placed under the command of some of the ablest generals in the French service. Squadrons of French ships, which had hitherto been cautiously kept in port, were now hazarded out to sea, in order to divide the British naval force; while greater enterprises were projected by the junction of the Spanish and French fleets. On the other hand, adequate means of resistance were provided on this side the channel. The coast on the south of England was fortified on the most exposed parts by a range of martello towers, and every effort was made for increasing the forces by sea and land.

One of the first enterprises of the French was an attempt on the island of Dominica, with an armament of five sail of the line and three frigates, having on board 4000 troops. A landing was effected on the 22nd of February, and the commander proceeded to Prince Rupert's, where the governor of the island, general Prevost, had posted himself with all the force he could muster. Having been summoned without effect, the French, who had levied a contribution on the inhabitants of Roseau, in the attack upon it set the town on fire, and then re-embarked on the 27th. The armament then proceeded to St. Christo

pher's where a landing was made and a costribution exacted. The same was done at the island of Nevis; after which the squadron returned to France from an expedition, the success of which was by no means adequate to the equip

ment.

Napoleon set out early in the month of May for Milan, accompanied by his empress, and was received wherever he passed with the highest honors. On the 26th of that month he announced his compliance with the humble request of the states, that he would take upon him the title and authority of king of Italy; and his coronation was performed at Milan with the greatest pomp and solemnity. During the visit to Italy Napoleon accomplished the annexation of the Ligurian republic to the French empire.

A plan for a new constitution was, in the month of March, presented to the legislative body of the Batavian republic by the state directory, which was accepted by the people; and M. Schimmelpenninck being elected first pensionary, he opened the session of the states-general on the 15th of May. All the forms of an independent government were preserved; but the influence of France was apparent in a proclamation soon after issued, by which all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, and the admission, direct or indirect, of all articles of British manufacture, was strictly prohibited.

The negociations between the courts of London and Petersburg, which were alluded to in the king's speech at the beginning of the year, terminated in a treaty, signed on the 11th c April, by which the emperor of Russia and the king of England reciprocally bound themselves to use the most efficacious means for forming a general league of the states of Europe, for the purpose of putting a stop to the encroachments of the French government, and securing the independence of the different states. Sweden and Austria had entered into the same views; but they declined proceeding to hostilities, till an attempt to attain the objects of the alliance by negociation should have proved abortive. Russian envoy was in consequence deputed to France, who had advanced as far as Berlin on his way, when the intelligence of the annexation of Genoa to France produced his immediate recall. This event determined Austria to become a member of the league; and a treaty for that purpose was signed by her plenipotentiary at Petersburgh on the 9th of August. At the same time a note was addressed by the Austrian ambassador at Paris to the French minister for foreign affairs, expressing the desire of his court

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concur with those of London and Petersburg in their endeavours to promote general pacification. A correspondence followed, of reciprocal professions and accusations, which terminated in having recourse to arms as the only arbiter.

The emperor Napoleon now determined to strike a home blow at his Austrian antagonist before he could be joined by the Russians. Renouncing his project, therefore, of the invasion of England, he broke up the greater part of bis camp at Boulogne; and, having augmented

his army in Italy, drew the bulk of his force from Holland and Hanover, and proceeded by rapid marches to meet the Austrians on the Danube. The armies of the latter had passed the Inn into Bavaria early in September, the elector of wh.ch had been summoned to join his forces to that of Austria. He withdrew, however, from Munich to Wurtzburg, whilst his troops retreated into Franconia; and, for this defection, his country was subjected to severe exactions.

The French armies, estimated at 150,000 men, advanced in six divisions, under the command of marshals Bernadotte, Marmont, Davoust, Soult, Ney, and Lannes; and, having all crossed the Rhine, were joined at the end of the month by Napoleon, who passed the border with his guards at Kehl. On this occasion he addressed them in a proclamation drawn up in his usual vaunting style, in which he told them-You are but the van-guard of the great nation; if it be necessary, it will in a moment rise at my voice, to dissolve this new league which British gold and hatred have woven;' and unfortunately these were not vain words. While the details of his campaigns belong to the history of France, their issue was in the highest degree interesting to Great Britain.

By a series of bold manœuvres and successful actions, Buonaparte, by the middle of October, surrounded general Mack in Ulm with 30,000 men, who remained to him after the loss of several detached portions of his army. Prepations were immediately made for storming Ulm, but a summons was at the same time sent to Mack to capitulate, with which he thought it necessary to comply. On the 20th of October the whole of the Austrian troops in that city surrendered themselves prisoners of war, with all their artillery and magazines. Thus was almost annihilated the force with which the Austrians commenced the campaign.

Napoleon proceeding to Munich, at the head of his main body, drove before him a corps of Austrians and the first column of a Russian force. The French crossed the Inn in the face of these allies, who retreated step by step on the road to Vienna. The alarm in that capital was now extreme: the emperor Francis retired with all his court to Brann, while the greater part of the nobility took refuge in Hungary. On the 11th the main body of the French army arrived at Vienna, which they entered in triumph on the 13th, the advanced guard passing through by the bridge over the Danube without halting. On the 15th Napoleon joined the army which was advancing into Moravia to meet the Russians.

Massena had almost equal success against the archduke Charles in Italy; while, in the Tyrol, the archduke John was closely pressed by different French divisions.

The main army of the allies now consisted of about 50,000 Russians, with the emperor Alexander at their head, and 25,000 Austrians, chiefly of new levies. The French, when joined by the divisions of Bernadotte and Davoust, amounted to between 70,000 and 80,000 men, in the highest state of discipline, and full of confidence from past successes. Near Austerlitz, on the direct

road from Vienna to Olmutz, was fought, on the 2nd of December, the memorable battle of that name. It was distinguished also as the battle of the three emperors, from the presence of those of Russia, France, and Austria. Napoleon was his own general-in-chief; the Russians were commanded by general Kutusoff; and the Austrians by prince John of Lichtenstein. The French were decidedly victorious.

It was now stipulated by an armistice, that the Russian army was to evacuate Moravia and Bohemia within fifteen days, and Hungary within a month, and to retire by prescribed routes; also that there should be no extraordinary levy of troops in the Austrian dominions during this period. But to these conditions the emperor Alexander refused to become a party, and he commenced a retreat in his own manner on the 6th of December. The archduke Charles, likewise, who was advancing on the bank of the Danube from Hungary with a powerful force, was greatly mortified, on his arrival at Vienna, to find that he was reduced to a state of inaction.

Prussia maintained at this period a cautious neutrality. A violation of her territory by a march of Napoleon through a part of it, without asking permission, did indeed elicit some marks of resentment, but the capture of Mack's army caused the affront to be passed over. A scheme for the recovery of Hanover by Swedish troops in British pay, and commanded by their sovereign, in conjunction with English and Russian troops, was also frustrated by the battle of Austerlitz.

About this time a convention was signed between France and Prussia, by which Hanover was ceded to the latter, and a definitive treaty between France and Austria was concluded on the 26th of December at Presburg, by which the Venetian territory west of the Atlantic was united to the kingdom of Italy; and the Greek provinces east of the Gulf were ceded to France. The electors of Bavaria and Wirtemberg were advanced to the dignity of kings. The Tyrol and Burghausen, with the principality of Eichstadt, were ceded to Bavaria; and the Brisgau and Ortenau to Wirtemberg and Baden. In return the new electorate of Salzburg was incorporated with the Austrian empire, and Wurtzburg assigned in compensation to the archduke Ferdinand.

A treaty of neutrality had been concluded in September between France and Naples; and the French force under general St. Cyr, previously stationed in the Neapolitan territory, joined the army in Lombardy. A combined armament of English and Russians, said to have on board 10,000 British and 14,000 Russian troops, disembarked soon afterwards in that kingdom, not only without opposition, but apparently with every degree of encouragement from the monarch, who was prevented from openly declaring himself only by the speedy termination of the contest. The emperor Alexander then recalled his forces to Corfu, and the British general, Sir James Craig, withdrew into Sicily.

Napoleon now attempted to realise the haughty menace, that the ocean was no longer to belong

Admiral Villeneuve supposed that the English fleet consisted of only twenty-one sail, and he originally intended to attack them with an equal number of vessels, while twelve of his select ships, acting as a body of reserve, were to bear down and double upon the British line after the action had commenced. On perceiving, how ever, the real force with which he had to contend, he arranged his ships in one line, forming a crescent convexing to leeward. The conflict began about noon, when admiral Collingwood, in the Royal Sovereign, gallantly entered into action about the twelfth ship from the enemy's rear, leaving his van unoccupied. The succeeding ships broke through in all parts, astern of their leader, and engaged their antagonists at the muzzles of their guns. Lord Nelson, on board the Victory, directed his attack on the enemy's line, between the tenth and eleventh ships in the van; but, finding it so close that there was not room to pass, he ordered his ship to be run on board the Redoubtable, opposed to him; his second, the Temeraire, engaged the next ship in the enemy's line; and the others singled out their adversaries in succession, according to the order of battle. For the space of four hours the conflict was tremendous; particularly in that part of the line where the commander-in-chief had commenced the onset. The guns of his ship repeatedly set fire to the Redoubtable, and the British seamen were employed at intervals during the heat of the battle in throwing buckets of water on the spreading flames, which might otherwise have involved both ships in destruction.

Both the French and Spaniards fought with a degree of bravery and skill highly honorable to their officers and men; but the attack was irresistible. About three in the afternoon the Spanish admiral, with ten sail of the line, joining the frigates to leeward, bore away for Cadiz. Ten minutes afterwards five of the head most ships of the enemy's van, under admiral Dumanoir, tacked, and stood to the windward of the British line; the sternmost was taken, but the others escaped. The heroic exertions of the British were rewarded by the capture of nineteen ships of the line, with the commander-in-chief, Villeneuve, and two Spanish admirals. The tempestuous weather, which came on after the action, rendered it necessary to destroy all the prizes but four, which were carried into Gibraltar. The fugitive ships, under Dumanoir, were captured off Ferrol on the 4th of November, by a squadron under the command of Sir Richard Strachan.

The loss of the British in the battle of Trafalgar was estimated at 1587 men, killed and wounded; but great as the victory was, and in importance and brilliancy it yields to none in the annals of naval warfare, it was purchased at an immense expense to the country. About the middle of the action, as lord Nelson was walking the quarter-deck, attentive to its progress, and anxiously expecting its issue, he received a shot in the left breast from a musket ball, which wounded him mortally, and he instantly fell. He was immediately carried to the cockpit, where he lived about an hour, employing the short space of time now allotted him in giving

orders, receiving reports, and making enquiries concerning the state of the action. The closing scene of his career was not unworthy of his former exploits. In the hour of death he displayed the magnanimity that had marked his character and conduct through life. Conscious of his approaching dissolution, he sent for admiral Collingwood, the second in command, to whom he communicated the particulars of his situation, and then gave the necessary orders to the officers by whom he was surrounded. On being told that the British flag was triumphant, and that fifteen sail of the line had struck, he appeared much consoled. A few moments before his death he said to Captain Hardy, I could have wished to live to enjoy this day; but God's will be done.' 'My lord,' replied the captain, 'you die in the midst of triumph!' Nelson replied, God be praised!' and almost instantly expired. Thus fell the hero of the Nile, of Copenhagen, and of Trafalgar, after a victory which utterly blasted the hopes of Napoleon for the subjugation and ruin of England. His mortal remains were conveyed to England, and interred in St. Paul's with the highest public honors. Having left no son, the title of earl Nelson, with a permanent revenue annexed, was, by an act of national and enthusiastic gratitude, conferred upon his brother, a private clergyman, all parties on this occasion vying in their expressions of grief and admiration.

Admiral Collingwood was raised to the peerage with a pension of £2000 per annum. The earl of Northesk was honored with the order of the Bath, and a pension. A liberal subscription was set on foot for the relief of those who suf fered in the cause of their country; and hundreds of thousands of pounds were readily and cheerfully raised for the relief of the officers, seamen, and marines, who were wounded, and the widows, orphans, and relatives of such as were killed in this memorable action.

In the East Indies the war was continued betweeen the East India Company and the rajah of Bhurtpore, aided by Holkar. Early in the year lord Lake made several successive attacks on the town of Bhurtpore, in all of which he was repulsed with loss. At length Holkar's general, Ameer Khan, having been entirely routed by general Smith, and himself so much reduced that he could give no assistance to his ally, whilst lord Lake was preparing for a new attack on Bhurtpore, the rajah offered proposals for peace, which were acceded to on the 10th of April, on the condition of his yielding to the company the fortress of Deeg, and restoring the districts which had been conferred upon him after the peace with Scindia, together with the payment of a sum of money. In July lord Cornwallis arrived at Madras to take upon him the office of governor-general, to which he had been appointed as successor to the marquis of Wellesley. His lordship, however, was in such a reduced state of health, that he died on the 5th of October, at Gazeepoor, in the province of Benares, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. British India will always be proud to associate with its happiness, its prosperity, and renown, the grateful remembrance of this its highly venerated chief; and the native powers