bare recital of them was more than fufficiently painful for the purpofe of exciting condemnation and abhorrence. On a conftant and clofe investigation of this fubject, which appeared to us to involve a very interefting question concerning our common nature, we have found for certain, that, although not a few of the barbarities faid to have been committed were exaggerated, and fometimes diftorted into fhapes very different from their original and natural appearances, yet enough of reality remained to prove how largely human beings participate in the ferocity of animal nature! and what tygers they quickly become when freed from the muzzle of the law! Among British planters, but oftener overfeers, and above all among Dutch planters and overfeers, it fully appears, that cruelties are fometimes carried far beyond the original point of punishment, either as an example, or a atification of refentment; and egenerate into a kind of horrid and relentless triumph over all that can be urged in commiferation of the tortured victim, either by the compaffion of the fpectators, or the ftill voice of confcience in the tormentor's own breast.

With regard to the inefficacy of our abolition of the flave trade to any fubftantial purpose of humanity, it was admitted that other nations might purfue the trade if we abandoned it. From this, how ever, they might, in a great meafure, be restrained by proper regulations at the worst, we fhould have the fatisfaction of reflecting that the guilt would not reft on our heads.

:

In answer to the objection that the intended abolition would prove

the ruin of our colonies, it was con fidently afferted, that the ftock of flaves which they at prefent contained, if well managed and mildly treated, would be fully competent to all the requifite labour, and furnifh a fufficient fupply for future exigencies.

Mr. Wilberforce's motion, after a debate of two days, was negatived by a majority of 163 to 88.

The attention of the House of Commons was not confined to civil flavery, but extended to the remains of religious oppreffion. The diffenters, in their last application to parliament for the repeal of the teft laws, had included the cafe of their brethren, as they called them, who embraced the catholic reli gion. The Roman Catholic chriftians in England were a quiet people, in general averfe to innovation and commotion, and true friends to the prefent government: yet there were a few reftlefs fpirits among them, of atrabilarious conftitutions and monastic habits, who, endeavouring to raise new fchifms in the ancient church, attempted to form a fect, afferting the liberty not only of kicking against the authority of the catholic church, but even, in many inftances, against that of the facred fcriptures. These, in unifon and concert with some diffenting agitators, formed the plan of making one common caufe between the English catholics and diffenters: but neither were the genuine catholics themselves ambitious of fuch an union; nor did the friends of the catholics think that the adoption of fuch a union was the beft mode of ferving their caufe. A bill was therefore brought into parliament for the relief of the catholics, not in conjunction, but

taken

taken as a feparate body from the other diffenters from the church of England.

On February 26, Mr. Mitford, the Solicitor-General, moved for a committee of the whole Houfe of Commons to enable him to bring in a bill to relieve, upon condition, and under certain reftrictions, perfons called Protefting Catholic Diffenters *, from certain penalties and disabilities to which papifts, or perfons profeffing the popifh religion, are by law fubject. Mr. Mitford prefaced this motion, by fhewing that the feverity of the penal laws against the catholics was much greater than was generally known or imagined. The motion was feconded by Mr. Windham; who did not conceive that the conduct of Roman catholics had been fuch as to warrant the feverity with which they had been treated in the laft century. At any rate, it was impoffible to deem them formidable at the prefent moment, when the power of the Pope was confidered as a mere spectre, capable of frightening only in the dark, and vanifhing before the light of reafon and knowledge.

Mr. Fox thought the propofed bill too confined in its views. He wifhed it to go farther, and to eftablifh complete toleration. Mr. Mitford's motion was agreed to unanimously.-Mr. Mitford, on the Ift of March, in a committee of the whole Houfe, moved for leave to bring in his propofed bill. wifhed not for the general repeal of the ftatutes in queftion; but merely for an exemption from their operation in favour of a few. It

He

was not his intention to admit Ro. man Catholics of any defcription to places of truft under government, but only to have them confidered as men of honour and loyalty. The motion was put and carried without opposition.

On the fecond reading of the bill in the Houfe of Lords, on the 31ft of May, a difcuffion took place of the propriety of feveral claufes; which were afterwards amended in a committee. The Bishop of St. David's (Dr. Horley) obferved, that the form of the oath of alle giance, which it enjoined, would most probably offend the feelings of thofe whom the bill itself was intended to relieve. The doctrine, That princes excommunicated by the fee of Rome might be depofed and murdered by their fubjects, was declared by the oath to be impious, heretical, and damnable. The catholics felt not the leaft difinclination to exprefs their difapprobation of fuch a doctrine; but, from fcruples founded on a tender regard for the memory of their progenitors, they could not induce themfelves to brand it with the harfh terms which the oath prefcribed. In a committee of the whole Houfe on this bill, June 4, the oath, as it first stood, was, on the Bishop's motion, expunged; and the fame oath which was taken by the Roman Catholics in Ireland, in 1774, with fome flight altera tions, fubftituted in its ftead.

To this bill, in favour of the Roman Catholics, a very cordial fupport was given by the fame bench of Bifhops, who had fet their faces very ftrongly, in the preced

WE

7E have not deemed it neceffary, as our readers will have perceived, in what we have hitherto related of the parliamentary bufinefs of 1791, to adhere strictly to the order of the time when the particular fubjects of difcuffion and decifion were first brought forward; but have purfued different fubjects, without interruption, to certain marked periods in their progreffion, if not to the'r final determination, and paffed on, in our narrative, from certain things to others, to which they bear an evident analogy or refemblance. It is not the aim of this annual ketch of the paffing years, to give a mere chronicle of facts, but to arrange the principal events and fubjects of attention, in fuch a manner as to form a picture that may be contemplated without diftraction, and with fome degree of intereft and fatisfaction. But for this end, the arrangement of tranfactions and events, in the mere order of time, is not fufficient; it is

neceffary to clafs them together as much as potlible, without deviating too far from the chronological order, under general heads and common principles; and as they are connected together by the relation of cause and effect *. We are abundantly fenfible of the disadvantages under which we labour, in attempting to view events fo recent, in their true light, and to give to all things their juft places and proportions. This will be more happily effected by future hiftorians, for whofe ufe we transmit materials; but these, for the convenience of tranfmiffion, shaped into a kind of imperfect mould or form, like thofe rude resemblances of various utenfils that are fome. times brought in fhips, rather than mere blocks of wood, from the forefts of Norway.

It was announced to the parlia ment, in his Majesty's speech from the throne, that a separate peace had taken place between Ruffia and Sweden, but that the war between

the