of providence, the peftilence, has happily ceafed in the Ruffian dominions, after having fwept away abové 60,000 of the inhabitants. Bohemia has still fuffered a greater lofs, from fome dreadful diftempers, as fatal, though perhaps not To contagious, as the plague, and which feem to have been the offfpring of famine.

Pofterity will be at a loss which to admire moft, the great power of Ruffia, or the magnificence of its Emprefs, when they are informed that in the courfe of fo long, fo expenfive, and fo widely extended a war, her expences, whether in rewards to her generals and officers, in prefents to learned men in the encouragement of arts, or in the purchase of libraries, ftatues, pictures, antiques, and

jewels, infinitely exceed thofe of any late or prefent European prince, except Lewis the Fourteenth. Among many instances of this nature which might be given, a diamond of an enormous fize, which the purchased this year, may be fufficient. This diamond, which weighs 779 carats, was brought fome years ago by a Greek gentleman from Ifpahan to Holland, and depofited for fecurity in the Bank, till he could meet with a purchaser; the greatnefs of the price would have made this difficult if the Emprefs of Ruffia had not exifted. She has paid upwards of 100,000l. fterling for it, befides fettling a penfion for life, of 4000 rubles, upon the gentleman,which amounts to little lefs than a thousand pounds fterling a year.

Marriages in the Royal Family. Augmentation of feamen. PetiDebates thereon. Church NulRoyal Marriage bill. Great depaffes both houfes.

attended the continued victories which adminiftration gained in the laft fellion, particularly towards the close of it, as it feemed to render every idea of an oppofition to their meafures futile, fo it

alfo feemed to promife them a fecurity and permanence in their places, which nothing but fome unforeseen or unknown caufe could interrupt. This appearance of things was not delufive; and no change took place in the public departments during the recefs,except thofe that proceed

Hallifax and of Lord Strange, both of which happened nearly at the fame time, and not long after the rifing of parliament. In confequence of the former of these events,the Earl of Suf

1771.

folk was appointed fe- June 12th, cretary of ftate for the northern department, in the room of the Earl of Halifax, and the Duke of Grafton fucceeded Lord Suffolk in the Privy Seal. Lord Hyde was appointed a few days after Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster,

Strange.

With refpect to foreign affairs, peace feemed now to wear as per manent an afpect, as was confiftent with the prefent critical ftate of Europe in general. Spain, during Sept. 16th, the recefs, fulfilled her engagement in the convention, by the restoration of Port Egmont, which was delivered up to Capt. Stott, who was fent thither with a small Squadron for that purpose.

As to domeftic matters, a fullen languor (perhaps in fuch a government as this not the moft defirable of events) began in general to prevail with thofe who had hitherto oppofed, and ftill difapproved, of the general meafures of administration. They faid that in the present state of affairs, all farther applications for a redrefs of grievances, would be ridiculous in themfelves, and difgraceful to thofe that made them; that though no hopes remained in that quarter, there were as few to be placed in any other; and that it was as futile to perfevere in an oppofition to power, which every day's experience thewed to be irresistible, as it would be fhameful and degrading to make fupplications, when it was known beforehand, that they would at leaft be difregarded. That in fuch a fituation, public matters must be left to run their own courfe, until they were productive of fuch events, as muft from their nature work a reformation; and that in the intermediate time, it was not the part of a wife man, either to difturb his mind, about evils which could not be remedied, or to make a tirefome and fruitless oppofition, to VOL. XV.

1

vent.

In the mean time, we are forry to acknowledge, that the popular part of the legiflature, had, from various caufes, loft much of that influence with the people, and of that refpect and reverence, with which it was ufually regarded; and which it is not more effential to its dignity, than even to its power and independence, at all times to preferve. Much of this may be attributed to the late ill-judged con teft with the printers, and the ridiculous iffue of that affair. Every circumftance of that tranfaction, was productive of effects, directly contrary to thofe that were wished or intended; and, instead of supporting dignity, or establishing privilege, were equally fubverfive of both. Many of the addreffes, which had been prefented to the city magiftrates, during their confinement in the Tower, were direct libels upon that affembly, and in other times would have been feverely punished as fuch. Even the public rejoicings which were made upon the enlargement of those magiftrates, and the public marks of approbation and honour, which they received from other cities and corporations, as well as their own, were all fo many tacit but fevere reflections, upon the conduct of that body under whose power they had suffered.

Its effects were fimilar in respect to the licentiousness of the prefs. The printers, now that the impotency of the houfe was discovered, laughed at an authority, which had been fo much dreaded, before it was wantonly brought to a teft that expofed its weakness. This dif[E]

covery

covery being made, the effect naturally followed; and in the fucceeding fethion, the votes of the houfe, a thing before unknown, and contrary to its orders, were printed in the public news-papers, without notice or enquiry; and thus the point in conteft was apparently given up by the house.

That apathy (if it may be confidered as fuch), which feemed to extend its influence through a confiderable part of the nation, had not yet in any confiderable degree pervaded the capital. On the contrary, many late proceedings had much increased the difcontent in that great metropolis, and the citizens were not at all backward in fhewing it. They faid that government had fet its face particularly against the city of London, in a manner that had been unknown fince the Revolution; that this was evidently in return for the public fpirited difapprobation fhe had thewn of oppreffive and pernicious measures, and the conftitutional methods he had tried to obtain a redrefs of grievances, which affected the nation in general, as much as they did her in particular; that adminiftration had for fome time acted as if they were in an actual ftate of warfare with her, and were determined to make her feel the worft confequences that could attend an oppofition to power; that to this only was to be attributed the late difgrace which the met with in the perfons of her magiftrates; and that from this alfo proceeded that extraordinary measure of the Durham-yard embankment, by which, as they faid, injury and injuftice were added to infult, and a ftranger, who had not the smallest claim, nor did not even pretend to any right,

was invested in an eftate worth 40,000l. which was torn out of her property in the bed of the river.

In fuch a state of temper and opinion, nothing was left undone to manifeft refentment, nor untried, to give it effect. A committee was even appointed, to carry on a profecution against the fpeaker of the House of Commons, for the commitment of the magiftrates, and the moft eminent countel were canfulted upon that occafion. As this defign failed of effect, and it was found that no action could be brought upon the fubject, and that the courts would not admit it if there could, recourfe was again had to the hopelefs refort, of an address, remonftrance, and petition to the throne.

The day before the delivery of this addrefs, a letter was received by the lord mayor, from the lord chamberlain, taking notice, that as the papers had mentioned the time of his fetting out for St. James's, and the livery might be induced to attend him, he had his majefty's commands to acquaint him, that it being unprecedented to admit the livery upon fuch occafions, as well as impracticable to introduce fo numerous a body, no perfon beyond the number allowed by law to prefent petitions to the throne, would be admitted, except his lordship, the aldermen, common council, and city officers. Copies of this letter were immediately pofted up in the most public parts of the city, to fave the livery the trouble of affembling at Guildhall, as they intended; and a cominittee of ten perfons, the number allowed by law to prefent a petition, was appointed from that body to attend the lord mayor into the King's prefence,

In

In this remonstrance they declare, that befides a continuance of thofe unparalleled grievances, which they had already fubmitted to his majefty, the fame arbitrary power, which had violated the facred right of election, had in the laft feffion, proceeded to the most extravagant outrages against the conftitution of the kingdom, and the liberty of the fubject. That they had ventured to imprifon their chief magiftrate, and one of their aldermen, for difobeying their illegal orders, and for not violating the holy fanction of their oaths to that great city, as well as their duty to their country; that they had prevailed on his majefty to futler his royal name to give a pretended authority to an illegal proclamation; and that at length they proceeded to the enormous wickedness of erafing a judicial record, in or der to stop the course of justice, and to fruftrate all poffibility of relief by an appeal to the laws. They then reprefent the advantages that had been taken of paffing the embankment bill during the unjuft confinement of their reprefentatives; whereby, without the pretence of an abuse, they had fuperfeded the confervancy of the river Thames, in the liberty which the city had enjoyed fince the conqueft, and deprived the citizens of a property which had been granted by divers charters, and confirmed by the authority of Parliament. They conclude with a prayer, that his majesty would restore their rights, and give peace to this diftracted nation, by a speedy diffolution of parliament, and by removing for ever from his prefence and councils, the prefent wicked and defpotic minifters.

The king's anfwer, confidering the extraordinary terms of the remonftrance, did not seem to convey all the afperity, which might have been expected from fome late inftances. His Majesty declared his readiness to redress any real grievances, and that the city of London would always find him difpofed to liften to any of their well-founded complaints; but expreffes a concern, to fee a part of his fubjects ftill fo far mifled and deluded, as to renew in fuch res prehenfible terms, a request, with which, he had repeatedly declared he could not comply.

With refpect to the ftate of parties, nothing very extraordinary had taken place. The desertion to the miniftry of feveral of the late Mr. Grenville's friends, together with those droppings off from the other parties, which muft naturally enfue in a long courfe of oppofition, where all honours and rewards are held on one fide, had confiderably weakened the state of oppofition in general. Many gentlemen alfo, who had neither departed from their principles, nor abandoned their friends, feeing every thing carried by fo great and decifive a majority, grew flack and remifs, in a tedious and wearifome attendance, which they deemed to be ufelefs; and thought it was of very little confequence to the public, whether the numbers were more or lefs on a minority lift, when every one could have told beforehand, that there would be at any rate, a majority of not much less than two to one.

One event that took place during the recefs, and probably another, that was fufpected, and has fince been acknowledged, were the ap[*E] 2 parent

parent caufes of the most important and extraordinary bufinefs that came on in the courfe of the enfuing feffion. The event which we allude to, was the marriage of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, with Mrs. Horton, a widow lady, and daughter to Lord Irnham. As this tranfaction gave great offence at court, the celebrated royal marriage-act, which excited fo much difcuffion both within-doors and without, is fuppofed in a great measure to have originated from it. The marriage of his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Gloucefter, with the Countefs Dowager of Waldegrave, was not then acknowledged; but it is fuppofed had been long undertiood. This affair indeed for a time revived the fpirits and forces of oppofition.

As there feemed to be no urgent bufinefs that demanded an early attendance, the parliament did not meet till after the ho

Jan. 21ft.

lidays. In the fpeech 1772. from the throne, much fatisfaction is expreffed, that neither the foreign nor domeftic fitua. tion of affairs, required their earlier attendance; and that now they would be at liberty to give their whole attention to the eftablishment of wife and ufeful regulations of law, and to the extenfion of our commercial advantages. They were informed, that the perform ance of the King of Spain's engagement, in the reftitution of Port Egmont and Falkland's ifland, and the repeated affurances that had been received of the pacific difpofition of that court, as well as of other powers, promifed the continuance of peace; which was with the greater confidence to be

hoped for, as there was no reafon to apprehend that we fhould becone involved in the troubles, which ftill unhappily prevailed in one part of Europe.

No doubt was (notwithstanding) made, but they would fee the propriety of maintaining a respectable eftablifliment of the naval forces; they were, however, informed, that no extraordinary aid would be required at this time. It concluded by obferving, that the concerns of this country are fo various and extenfive, as to require the most vi gilant and active attention; and that fome of them, from remotenets of place, and other circumftances, are fo peculiarly liable to abules, and expofed to danger, that the interpofition of the legiflature for their protection, might become neceflary. That if in any fuch infiances, either for fupplying de fects, or remedying abutes, they fhould find it neceffary to provide any new laws, they might depend upon the readiett concurrence of the crown, in whatever might beft contribute to the attainment of thofe falutary ends.

The addreffes were paffed in the ufual form. The speech was very cautiously worded in what related to domeftic matters, and as peace was announced from abroad, there was no great room for debate. As the latter part of it evidently alluded to the affairs of the Eaft India company, though they were not mentioned, it was understood accordingly; and the gentleman who feconded the motion for the addrefs in the Houfe of Commons, expatiated upon that fubject, and hinted that new laws and regulations were neceffary to be made for the use of the company; that at present they

had