America; among whom, befides the Cherokees, were the celebrated Five Nations, who, through fo long a course of years, had held fo ftrict an alliance with England. On the sea coalts, as the British forces were to be withdrawn from all the territories of the United States, New York, Long Ifland, Staten Island, Charlestown, in South Carolina, and Penobscot, in the borders of New England and Nova Scotia, with their dependencies, were of courfe to be given up. Savannah in Georgia, had already been evacuated by the British troops. An unlimited right of fishery on the Banks of Newfoundland, in the gulph of St. Lawrence, and all other places where both nations had heretofore been accustomed to fish, was likewife granted or confirmed to the Americans. We omit the articles with respect to the loyalifts, as they will appear in the parliamentary difcufions on that fubject. The preliminary articles of peace between England and France were figned at Versailles, on the 20th of January, 1798, by Mr. Alleyne Fitz-Herbert on the part of the one, and by the Count de Vergennes, on that of the other; as the preliminary articles between England and Spain were, on the fame day, by the first of these gentlemen, and by the Count D'Aranda, on the part of the Catholic king. The preliminary articles with Holland were not yet fettled. By the preliminary treaty with France, in the place of the narrow limits to which the latter had been reftrained by the laft peace, England now extends her rights of fishery at Newfoundland to a long extent of coaft, reaching from Cape St. John, in about 50 degrees of north latitude, on the eattern fide of the island, round by the north, to Cape Raye, on the western coaft, in 47 degrees and 50 minutes latitude. - England likewife ceded the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in full right to France, and confequently without any reftriction in point of fortification. In the Weft Indies, England reftored to France the island of St. Lucia, and ceded and guaranteed to her the ifland of Tobago.-On the other hand, France reitores to Great Britain the islands of Grenada, and the Grenadines, with thofe of St. Vincent, Dominica, ́ St. Chriftopher's, Nevis, and Montferrat. In Africa, England cedes and guarantees, in full right to France, the river of Senegal, and its dependencies, with the forts of St. Louis Podor, Galam, Arguin, and Portendie; and likewife reftores the ifland of Goree.-And, on the other hand, France guarantees to Great Britain the poffeffion of Fort James, and of the river Gambia. Certain new regulations with refpect to the gum trade were like wife to take place in this part of the world. In the East, England restored every thing to France with confiderable additions, and without the poflibility of an equivalent in that quarter, which the had loft during the war. All her establishments in Bengal, and on the coaft of Orixa, were to be reftored, and liberty given for furrounding Chandenagor with a ditch for draining the waters. Pondicherry and Karical were likewife to be reftored and guaranteed to France; and his Britannic majefty was bound to pro[]4 cure, cure, from the princes whofe property they were, certain fpecified neighbouring diftricts round thefe places, which were to be annexed to them as dependencies. And to fum up the account under this head, France was to regain poffeffion of Mahé, and of the Comptoir at Surat. For the conditions in favour of her commerce in India, and what relates to the allies on both fides in that quarter, we must refer to the treaty. In Europe, as if it were to complete in its parts this unequalled fcene of ceffion, conceffion, and humiliation on the fide of England, the confented to the abrogation and Various conjectures concerning the fate and views of the different political parties previous to, and at the meeting of parliament-Letters from the Secretary of fate to the lord mayor of London refpecting the peace.-King's Speech.-Debates in both houfes, on the addrefs. Reafons affigned by Mr. Fox for the refignation of his office.-Second debates, on expreffions in the Speech refpecting the treaty with America.-Queflion put to the first commiffioner of the treafury in the House of Peers on the fame fubje&t.-Motion for the provifional treaty to be laid before the House of Commons rejected.-Bill brought in for preventing doubts that might arife respecting the legislative and judicial rights of the parliament and courts of justice of Ireland.— Caufe of the introduction of the bill, and objection made to it. TH HE fhort space of time that intervened between the death of the Marquis of Rockingham and the prorogation of parliament, afforded no opportunity of difcovering in what manner the Houfe of Commons flood affected towards the changes that had taken place in the adminiftration of public affairs, in confequence of the former event. The weight of the new minifter in that affembly, either from political connection, from private friendships, or public favour, was known to be very inconfiderable; and the fupport which he might otherwife have derived from the power of the crown, was likely to be much reduced by the operation of the bill of reform, and by the fteady attachment of most of those members who either owed their feats to the influence of government, or were led by a fort of principle to give a general support to adminiftration, under the aufpices of a noble lord, one of his predeceffors in office. The recefs of of parliament was therefore confidered as a circumstance highly favourable to the minifter, and was doubtless employed in endeavouring to form, fuch alliances amongst the parties out of power as might enfure fome degree of ftrength and permanence to his adminiftra tion. A reunion of the whigs was the favourite expectation of the public, and anxiously looked for by thofe who equally dreaded the revival of the old system, and the mischiefs of a weak and unfettled government. It does not, however, appear that any advances were made towards effecting such an accommodation; to which there appear, indeed, to have been infuperable difficulties, from the induftry with which the friends of each party laboured to throw the blame both of the fchifm and failure on the other. ftood as principals, in order to act fubordinate parts again in conjunction with them. Thefe infinuations were combated, on the other fide, by ftudionfly reprefenting the caule of diffenfion to have been a mere perfonal conteft for power; and by charging their opponents with holding opinions of a dangerous nature, trenching on the moft undoubted prerogative of the crown, that of choofing its own minifters, and confequently having a direct tendency to fubvert the conftitution. On the part of those who had retired from the fervice of government, it was urged, that as the appointment of the noble earl to the higheft office in adminiftration was one of the principal caufes of the divifion that enfued, fo it continued to be the chief obftacle to a reunion. It was indeed abfurd to expect, that his complaifance to his enemies fhould carry him fo far as to enter into a treaty, of which he was himfelf to be the first facrifice and it was not more reafonable, they faid, to fuppofe, that those who continued to act with him, how much foever they might difapprove of his principles, or cenfure the measures he was carrying on, (a conduct which fome of them did not scruple to purfue) would be willing to defcend from fituations in which, by the remoyal of their former friends, they : But whatever weight may be allowed to thefe charges or furmifes, it was generally agreed, that, though the parties themfelves had been ever fo well difpofed towards an accommodation, yet, the countenance and approbation of the court would hardly have been lent to a measure fo diametrically oppofite in its principle to that favourite fyllem of politics, which had the difunion of all party connections for its bafis. In oppofition to this fyftem, after a long and arduous ftruggle, by no mean exertion of abilities, and by the con urrence of many important events, the late administration had arrived at a kind of adverfe poffettion of power, which being fubmitted to from neceffity, it could not be expected would be fuffered to remain, whenever the means of deftroying it could be found Thefe, by an unfortunate event, foon af ter offered themfelves. The appointment of the Earl of Shelburne to fucceed the Marquis of Rockingham, it was eally foreseen, would difguft thofe individuals of the party, whofe principles were the most inflexible and obnoxious; and the probability of gaining over many many others, who might wish to make themselves fome amends for the long profeription they had undergone, by the advantages of a more accommodating line of conduct, was reckoned on with a confidence that proved not ill-founded. Add to this, that the firmnefs of the party had hitherto flood the trial of defeats and mortifications only; that power and emolument will fometimes be retained on terms and by means through which they would not have been fought; and laftly, that many of the members, wearied and grown old in oppofition, would naturally feel difinclined,from the diminution both of their vigour and profpects, to embark in a fresh conteft with the court. The defign appears to have been planned with great political fagacity, and the fuccefs went beyond even what the most fanguine hopes could have expected. Not only a change of minifters was effected, and a cabinet formed more agreeable to the views of the court; but feveral of those whofe former conduct had been marked by extraordinary violence were gained over; and thefe, not fatisfied to embrace their new principles with all the zeal and eagerness of converts, feemed to regard with an unusual degree of malignity that inflexibility of their old colleagues, which appeared no less than a tacit reproach to their own conduct. Thus a decifive blow was given to the very existence of the party; and which feemed even to preclude all future attempts to form a fyftematic oppofition. Such were the obftacles, which, from every quarter, appear to have rendered a reunion of the whigs, under the aufpices of the new mi nifter, totally impracticable. coalition with the noble lord who had formerly been at the head of his majefty's government, feemed more feasible, and was certainly free from the moft material objections that lay to the former meafure. Overtures accordingly are faid to have been made by the minifter, and various terms offered him: but whether from a confidence in his own ftrength, and the hope of rifing again, on the divifions of his adverfaries, to the poffeflion of undivided power; or from refentment of former indignities: or from fome change in his political fentiments, and a conviction of the impoflibility of ferving the public with fidelity on the terms propofed, the bufinefs fell to the ground. In the mean time the Nov. 23d. negotiations for a general peace were advancing towards a conclufion. On the 23d of November letters were fent by the fecretary of state to the lord mayor of London and the governors of the Bank, acquainting them "for the information of the public, and to prevent the mischiefs arifing from fpeculations in the funds, that the negotiations carrying on at Paris were brought fo far to a point, as to promife a decifive conclufion, either for peace or war, before the meeting of parliament, which on that account was to be prorogued to the 5th of December." On that day the feffion Dec. 5th. was opened by a speech from the throne of a very 1782. unufual length, and comprehending almoft every poflible topic of political difquifition. It set out with affuring both houfes, that fince the the close of the last feffion, his majefty's whole time had been employed in the care and attention, which the important and critical conjuncture of affairs required. It next ftated, that no time had been loft in putting an end to the profecution of offenfive war in North America; and after informing them that he had offered to declare thofe colonies free and independent ftates, and that provifional articles were actually agreed upon, to take effect whenever terms of peace thould be finally concluded with the court of France, it was made to proceed as follows-" In "thus admitting their feparation "from the crown of thefe king"doms, I have facrificed every "confideration of my own to the "wishes and opinion of my peo " ple. I make it my humble and "earneft prayer to Almighty God, "that Great Britain may not feel "the evils, which might refult "from to great a difmemberment " of the empire; and that Ame "rica may be free from thofe ca"lamities which have formerly proved, in the mother country, "how effential monarchy is to the "enjoyment of conftitutional li"berty." The defence and relief of Gibraltar, and the fubfequent conduct of the fleet, were next mentioned in terms of the higheft panegyric, as were alfo the proofs of public fpirit that had been given by the city of London and private individuals. The nogotiations for a general peace were announced to be confiderably advanced, and likely to be brought, in a very thort time, to an honourable conclufion. At the fame time a perfect confidence was expreffed, that if thefe expectations fhould be fruftrated, the most vigorous efforts would be used in the further profecution of the war. The members of the Houfe of Commons were next affured of the endeavours that had been used to diminith the burthens of the people; of the better economy that was to be introduced into the ex-, penditure of the army; of the reductions made in the civil lift expences, as directed by an act of the laft feffion; and of further reforms in other departments. By thefe means his eftablishments were faid to be fo regulated, that the expence fhould not in future exceed the income. The payment of the debt ftill remaining on the civil lift, and the relief of the American fufferes, were recommended to their confideration. Their attention was alfo called to the regulations that had been adopted in the incidental expences, fees, and other emoluments of office; to the landed revenue of the crown, and the management of its woods and forefts; to the department of the mint; to the general ftate of the public receipts and expenditure, and of the public debt; and to fuch a mode of conducting future loans as to promote the means of its gradual redemption. The practice of payment by navy, ordnance, and victualling bills, was ftrongly reprobated; and a more correct method of making up the eftimates for the fervice of the year was promifed. The high price of corn was next adverted to; the frequency of theft and robbery were mentioned; and the |