rying on the war at all rifques (though with Lord Scarborough's referve upon its prosecution) till the honour of this country to its allies were in its fullest extent difcharged, and their fecurity enfured. In reply to the Chancellor and the other fervants of the Crown, who had spoken upon the subject, the Earl of Guildford faid, "he rofe to answer a quef"tion that had been that day more than once put by "different noble Lords. It had been asked, with "whom were Minifters to treat for peace? In answer "he would fay, that their fituation was as extraor

dinary as it was lamentable; if they found ene"mies to send ármies againft, and could not find "out perfons fit to negociate a peace with." An amendment of Lord Grenville's to the Earl of Stanhope's motion, which went to approve of the Memorial, was put and carried without a divifion.

With the fame vigilance with which the noble Lords who reprobated the Memorial of Lord Auckland attended to the honour of the Country, did they on a future day exert themselves in endeavouring to fecure its fafety. The Earl of Stanhope moved for the printing of certain Treaties which this country had entered into with the powers of the Continent. This was oppofed by Lord Grenville, to whom the Duke of Norfolk replied, and forcibly reprobated the unprecedented and dangerous delay of laying fuch important papers before the Houfe, for the opinion of their Lordships: there

were

were no lefs than three treaties offenfive and defenfive entered into between this country and confiderable continental powers, figned in May laft, and not prefented to the House till within two or three days of the clofe of the feffion. His Grace was defirous that they thould be printed, that the country might know to what extent the war was about to be carried; and that Minifters were hazarding a long continuance of calamitous evils, by entering into the views of a variety of continental powers. The motion was loft. Thus closed the feffion of a parliament, convened upon the strength of facts which are univerfally known not to have existed*; and fupported throughout by an implicit confidence, and unlimited credit to Ministers for an equal neceffity of enforcing and fuppreffing the grounds of the strongest measures.

Nearly about the time that the combined armies laid regular fiege to Valenciennes, Dumourier came to London. Whether any public or private fpeculation brought him over is not afcertained; he remained but two days in town, and was forced to quit the kingdom under the provisions of the Alien Act.

*The words of the Act (30 Geo. 2. c. 25. fec. 46) by virtue of which this parliament was convened and the militia drawn out and embodied, are in cafe of actual invasion or upon imminent danger thereof or in cafe of rebellion. It is then correct to ftate, that neither of these cafes was known to have exifted. The

U 3

The ruinous confequences of the war spread over every part of the British empire; Government found itself obliged in Ireland to lend support to the drooping credit of the very first commercial powers; and Parliament undertook to make good the fum of 200,000l. which the Bank had advanced to mercantile perfons with intereft at 5 per cent. The Parliament of Ireland paffed also a Traitorous Correfpondence Bill, fimilar to that paffed in Great Britain.

CHAP.

CHAPTER XVI.

JULY, 1793.

CONTENTS.

Mr. Reeves's affociation-Their publications and doctrines-Upwards of two thousand fuch affociations formed-Lord Hood's Fleet in the MediteraneanLord Howe has the command of the Channel FleetCondé, Mayence, and Valenciennes taken-Unsuccessful defcent at Martinico by Admiral Gardner-Cons vention Bill in Ireland-Thoughts relative to itLibel, Civil Lift and Penfion Acts paffed in Ireland.

ALTHOUGH

The

HOUGH the Parliament had clofed the feffion, it was ftill found requifite to keep awake the fpirit of alarm and agitation which had feized the Nation from the month of December. means of attempting this were as fingular as they were new. As the meafure was not in its nature tranfient, but is in fome degree ftill operating its effect upon the public, it is peculiarly incumbent

upon me to apprize my reader of its origin, nature and tendency. Mr. Reeves's affociation now thought proper to bring before the public a collected fum of their meritorious fervices to the country, with an unequivocal avowal of their views and proceedings. They accordingly published a confiderable volume of their affociation papers with a well written preface, which befpeaks the pen of talent and information. And when we throw our eye over the lift of the 18 names which form their committee, from the known abilities, knowledge and refpectability of the individuals who compofe it, I will readily own, that an implicit credit might have been expected from the Nation for every measure they fhould adopt. It is therefore certainly a hazardous, and probably an invidious task to speak otherwise than in commendation of the proceedings of fuch refpected members of this community. But, amicus Plato, magis amica veritas. In the collected view and review of the late public measures I cannot help fecing a concerted league to introduce or revive in this country a spirit and principle difavowed fince the era of our Revolution, in order to engraft upon them a fyftem of measures, that would have received neither life nor vigour from the old stock of the British Conftitution. I view Mr. Burke as the Eolus of this league. He formally anathematifes every man who condemns.

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