ohjeêt of debate, and exercised the abilities of both miniftry and oppofition but after a long and aniinated conteft, the motion was negatived in the houfe of lords, by one tundred and ten against ten; and, the house of commons, by two Landred and fixteen against forty

two.

A repetition took place on the fame day in the houfe of lords, of the difcaffion upon the state of the reve nue, the taxes, the imports and exports, and the other financial circumRances of the nation at the clofe of the American war, and at the prefent period. The earl of Moira combated the pofitions of lord Aukland in the preceding debate, and the latter exerted himself to maintain them. Numerous and intricate were the calculations on both fides. Lord Lauderdale zealously supported the earl of Moira, and entered into a great variety of particulars to prove the jufinefs of his researches and computations: herein he was feconded by the marquis of Lanfdowne, and opposed by lords Coventry and Hawkesbury, who took much pains to represent the ftatements of lord Moira as erroneous. The fame fubject was refumed, on the thirteenth, by lord Lauderdale, who difplayed great financial knowledge in his arrangement of the matter of debate. His fupporters were the marquis of Lanfdowne and the earl of Moira; and his opponents, lords Grenville, Hawkefbury, and Aukland. The nferences from the arguments and ftatements produced by the refpective parties were contradictory in the extreme; the one reprefenting the fituation of this country as replete with the moft arduous difficul.

ties, and almoft verging to ruin; and the other deferibing it as full of opulence and refources of every denomination, and able, with proper management, to encounter and furmount every obftacle, and to flourish with more luftre than ever.

Such were the most material tranfactions of parliament during this feffion. An attempt was made, by Mr. Wilberforce, to enforce the decifion of the house, that the abo lition of the flave-trade fhould take place on the first day of the year 1796, but his motion was negatived. by a majority of four, and his fubefequent endeavours to regulate the flave-carrying trade, by e propor tion of tonnage, was loft for want of numbers to conftitute a house.

A bill for the relief of indigent curates paffed in their favour, after fome oppofition in the commons, on account of its originating in the houfe of lords. But a petition from. the quakers to be relieved from: imprisonment for non-payment of tythes, and for allowing their affir mation to be evidence in criminal as well as civil cafes was rejected. by the lords, after palling the com mons. The humane effort made by lord Moira, in favour of perfons confined for debt, met with... nơ better fuccefs.

The teton clofed, on the nineteenth of May, with the customary: fpeech from the throne. It inform ed the houses of the intention to dife folve the prefent, and to call a new parliament. The happielt affectsp it faid, had been experienced from the provifions made for reprelling fedition and civil 'tumult, and for refiraining the progrefs of princis ples Tubversive of all established go vernmentiv 604

The

The commons were thanked, in a more particular manner, for the liberal fupplies they had granted, to meet the exigencies of the war. Peculiar notice was taken of the increafing refources, by which the country was enabled to fupport the great expences it required. The nature of the fyftem introduced into France had, the fpeech faid, afforded to that country, in the midft of its calamities, the means of exertion, beyond the exertion of any former time; but, under the preffure of the new and unprecedented difficulties, arifing from fuch a conteft, the British conftitution had, by the counfels and conduct of parliament,

been preferved inviolate against the defigns of foreign and domeftic enemies; the honour of the British name aflerted; the rank and ftation held hitherto by this country in Europe, maintained; and the decided fuperiority of its naval power, eftablified in every quarter of the world.

Such were the principal paffages in the fpeech. It concluded with ftrong recommendations of unanimity and mutual confidence between the king and parliament, as beft promoting the true dignity of the crown, and the happinefs of the fubject.

CHAP.

сн.

DURING

URING the first months that followed the conftitution fettled in France towards the conclufion of 1795, the chief care of the government was to render it refpectable, and to imprefs the minds of men with a perfuation, that this great change was calculated for the benefit of the nation. It was not difficult, indeed, to perfuade the public that any fyftem was preferable to that uncertainty which had occafioned fo many confufions. From this confideration, people at large willingly acquiefced in the new arrangements, especially as they promifed to reftore internal peace, by arming government with fuch extenfive power, to prevent the breaking out of disturbances. But the means to which chiefly the directory trufted for the stability of their honour was, to keep alive that martial spirit which had pervaded, with fo amazing an efficacy, the whole mafs of the French nation, and enabled it to perform feats of arms, of which

no records afforded any precedent in their hiftory. As thefe fucceffes were attributed to that enthusiasm which animated them in the cause of their country, and to the hatred which they profefled for monarchy. it was the bufinefs of their rulers to perpetuate fuch a difpofition, by affording it fupport and aliment; and this they faw would moft etfectually be done, by reprefenting the enmity borne to France as unextinguished, and that notwithstanding feveral of its enemies had openly laid down their arms, and agreed to conditions of peace, their rancour was ftill the fame. They had defifted from hoftilities, it was faid, only from compulfion, after repeated defeats, and from the dread which they felt, that uniefs they complied with the requifitions prefcribed by a victorious and invincible enemy, jufily exafperated at their unprovoked aggreffion, he might give the fuller loofe to a revenge, which they were not able to refift.

-In

In order therefore to imprint the deeper in the minds of thofe aiverfaries, whom they had already fo much humbled, the terror with which they were already infpired, the heads of the republic judged it expedient to extend the influence of their victorious arms, as far as fortune feemed inclined to favour them, and to compel their remaining foes to accept of the humiliating terms they had impofed upon the others, by reducing them to the like diftrefs.

From ideas of this kind flowed the lofty language fpoken upon all occafions, both by the directory and the two councils. As two-thirds of thefe were precifely the fame men who had governed France under the name of a convention, during the three preceding years, it was not to be expected that their difpofitions would alter with their new appellation; and the other third, though not altogether fo violent in their conduct, were influenced by thofe republican principles, without which no man could be reputed a true Frenchman, and which, in truth, were indifpenfible to procore an individual either efteem or advancement in any poft, civil or military.

Another view, it may be prefumed, that ftimulated the members of the directory, who were all men of tried parts and courage, was the defire of proving to their countrymen the fuperiority of individuals placed at the head of the flate, purely on account of their abilities, to perfons promoted through favour, or the advantitious circum"stances of birth and family.

But a motive ftill more cogent, 'both with them and the nation at large, was the earnest desire to re

pair the loffes fuftained, towards the clofe of the preceding campaign, on the borders of the Rhine. Thele loffes happening fo fhortly after their prodigious fuccefles in the low countries, and in Holland, had fhewn that their enemies, however frequently defeated, had not decreafed in valour; and that, when well commanded, they were still a match for all the enthufiafm of the French.

It was chiefly to recover this fuperiority of military prowels, that the directory was folicitous to place the numerous armies of the republic on the moft formidable footing. They had maintained, in the campaign of 1794, a contest with the braveft veterans in Europe, and had proved more than equal to them. By the fame reason it might be expected, that, the fame fpirit animating them, they would renew their victorious career, which appeared fufpended, through unforefeen caufes, rather than terminated by a turn of fortune in favour of their enemies.

It was however neceffary to make a fhew of pacific inclinations, without which both their own people and foreign ftates would be juftly authorifed to accufe them of a wanton and lawless ambition, and more intent to gratify their private thirst of falfe glory, at the expence of their country, than studious to reftore the bleflings of peace, now become the earnest wish of all parties.

While the rulers of the republic were thus employed, the allied powers were no lefs occupied in preparing for the renewal of hoftilites, little hoping that any fincere efforts for the obtaining of peace were likely to proceed from the

French;