Majority against the minifiers in the boufe of lords. Motions in the boufe of commons, relative to the reports of the king's disapprobation of the bills; and to the diffolution of parliament. Bill rejected by the lords. Minifters removed. CHA P. V. [58 Mcafures adopted by the majority in the house of commons to prevent the dijfslution of parliament--defer the third reading of the land tax bill. Conver fation relative to the refignation of Earl Temple. Refolution of the committee on the fate of the nation to address the king. Favourable anfier from the king. Refolutions of the committee refpecting the acceptance of India bonds-and the Duchy of Lancafter. Short adjournment during the Christmas holidays. State of parties at the meeting of the house. Debate on refuming the committee on the ftate of the nation. Refolutions of the committee, refpecting the issuing of public money not appropriated by alts of parliament-for deferring the second reading of the mutiny bill—for the appointment of minifters that enjoyed the confidence of the boufe—of cenfure on the appointment of the present miniflers. Bill brought in by Mr. Pitt, for the better government of the India company. Debate on the comparative merits of Mr. Pitt's and Mr. Fox's India bills. Mr. Pitt's bill rejected. Notice by Mr. Fox of bringing in a new bill. CHA P. VI. [72 Refolution moved against the miniftry by lord Charles Spencer. Union of parties called for. Difficulties stated by the leaders of each party. The minifter called on to give information relative to the defign of dissolving parliament-be refufes. Motion intended to be made thereon, but deferred. Minifter again interrogated respecting the diffolution—bis anfwer. Motion to obftruct the diffolution. Minifter's reafons for continuing in office. Ridicu lous accufation of the late miniftry of bribery. Causes of the indecifion of both parties. Meeting of members at the St. Alban's tavern to effect an union—their addrefs to both parties, and the answers-their motions in the Houfe of Commons for forming a new miniftry, ordered to be laid before the king. Motion of the St. Alban's affociation against the exclufion of either party in forming a new miniftry carried in the Houfe of Commons. Difinterefied conduct of lord North. New expedient for effecting an union— caufes of its failure-mifchievous confequences of those measures. His majefty's refufal to dismiss his minifters—debate thereon. Proceedings in the Houfe of Lords. Addrefs to the king from the Commons, on the refolutions laid before him, and his Majefly's anfwer. Addrefs to the King for the removal of his ministers, and bis Majefly's answer thereto. Reprefentation to the King on the flate of public affairs. Prorogation and dissolution of parliament. CHAP. СНА P. VII. Claims of the Emperor upon Holland. Unfortunate fituation of the affairs of the Republic through the violence of parties and internal diffenfion. Continual attempts by the republican faction to abridge the Stadtholder's power, and attacks upon the duke of Brunswick. That prince refigns his great offices, and quits the country. Interference of the king of Pruffia in behalf of the Prince Stadıholder. France obtains an unbounded influence in the affairs of the republic. Plenipotentiaries fent to Bruffels to accommodate the differences with the Emperor. Außrian troops take poffeffion of Old Lillo, and commit other violations of the territorial rights of the republic. France accepts the office of mediation between Holland and the Emperor. Difpute occafioned by a Flemish boatman on the Schelde. Emperor's ultimatum prefented at Bruffels. Three new and extraordinary demands added to the former ultimatum. Appearances of an immediate rupture at the commencement of the autumn 1784. Declaration by the Emperor's minifler, that the first foot fired upon the Schelde should be confidered as a declaration of war. Some account of the nature of the claims, and of the reafons and arguments offered on both fides; with a particular regard to the difpute relative to the Schelde. State of the claim upon Maeftricht. Imperial effel fired at and flopped upon the Schelde. Imperial ambassador recalled from the Hague, and the conferences broken up at Brussels. Preparations for war on bub States apply fides. Exertions of public spirit by individuals in Holland. to France for a general: Count de Maillebois deputed 10 that appointment. Endeavours to prevent or divert the form. French monarch expoflulates with the Emperor. Dyke broken by the Dutch near Lillo, and the country laid under water. Inflexibility of the Emperor with respect to the Schelde. Ruffa takes a decided part in favour of the Emperor's claims. Jealousy excited by the confederacy of theje two great powers. Political caufes which rendered it particularly incumbent on France and Prussia to protect Holland. Prince Henry of Prufia's fit to the court of Versailles. Porte attentive to the fate of affairs in Europe, and in readiness to profit of any occafion of advantage which might be offered. Movements and preparations in France. General dijpafition of that nation with respect to the war. Difadvantages to which the Emperor would be exposed in the prosecution of a war in the Low Countries Doubtful and critical state of public affairs in Europe at the close of the year 1784. [100 CHA P. VIII. Unexpeted fource of jealoufy and difcord opened in Germany. Scheme for the exchange of Bavaria for the duftrian Netherlands. Seafon ill chojen for fuch a measure. Empress of Ruffia writes to the Prince of Deux Ponts upon the fubject; who peremptorily refufes a compliance, and acquaines the the court of Berlin with the proposal. King of Prussia remonßrates with the court of Petersburgh on the subject. Empress's answer. Conduct of the courts of Vienna and Munich. States of Bavaria alarmed. Satisfaction given by the eleclor not deemed fufficiently explicit. Great dissatisfaction excited in Hungary by the late schemes of reform. Rebellion of the peasants in the mountainous borders of Transylvania and Wallachia. Savage cruel. ties committed on the nobility. Peasants defeated, reduced, and Horiab, their mock king, publicly executed. Vigilance of the Prussian monarch, and efficacious meajures pursued by him, for preventing any innovation in the Germanic conflitution and system of policy. Treaty of union and confederation, for maintaining the indi-vifibility of the empire, and the rights of the Germanic body, in general and particular, figned at Berlin on the 23d of July 1785; the principal parties being the king of Prussia, the elector of Brunfwick Lunenburgh, and the elector of Saxony. Measures pursued by the court of Vienna 19 prevent or to counteract the new league prove ineffecuve. King of Pruffia's exposition of the causes and motives which led to the new German confederation, generally approved by the neighbouring powers. The appearances of immediate war' in Germany seem to be fuperfeded by a more moderate difpofition, and the queflions upon the exchange of Bavaria are fuffered to die away without farther explanation or difcuffion. The form of war being diverted from the Low Countries, by the great importance of the political questions which unexpectedly arose and were agitated in Germany, the republic of Holland thereby gained time to provide the more effectually for the worst that might happen, as well as for endeavouring to ward off the evil entirely by an accommodation. Negociations refumed at Paris, under the auspices of M. de Vergennes. Dutch deputies received at Vienna by the emperor. Speech and anfwer. Definitive treaty of peace between the emperor and the republic of Holland concluded under the mediation and guarantee of France. Principal ftipulations of the treaty. Treaty of alliance and friendship between France and Holland, finally ratified on the 25th of December 1785. Account of the Spanish expedition against Algiers in the year 1784; and the causes which prevented its infertion in the bufinefs of that [124 year. CHA P. IX. View of the character of the late parliament. Enormeus fupplies voted in its first feffion. Fruitless expenditure of this fubfidy occafions the refolutions which terminated the American war. Evidence of the parliament's independence. Enumeration of important matters in which it was engaged. Refcinds the famous refolution refpecting the Middlefex election.— Difappointments many, by not profecuting certain enquiries, &c. During the short space of two years, saw no less than five minißers in fuccession. Different opinions on its interference in their appointment and removal.— Well inclined to support the measures of the minifter in power at the time of its election. The campaign of 1781 caufes univerfal alarm, and occafons the commons to interfere to procure a change of councils. Minifter acquiefces. Power acquiefces. Delay in appointing a new miniftry occafions a threat of withbolding the fupplies. Complexion of the new administration. Honourably fupported. Negociates the peace; which is cenfured in parliament. The celebrated coalition formed. The minifter, in confequence, retires acquired by the house of commons, in confequence of the coalition. Different pinions entertained of that circumflance. The leaders of the coalition fucceed to the miniftry, but are difmiffed, and a fifth miniftry appointed.Addreffes for its removal. Advantageous ground, poffeffed by the court, favourable to refift the practice of difmiffing a minister at the requifition of the commons. King's anfver to thofe addresses, calling for specific charges against the minifters, a measure well calculated to throw difficulties in the way of fuch parliamentary proceedings. Inftances in illustration thereof.Firmness of the commons. Their diffolution. Advantages possessed by the miniftry upon that event. Caufes of the support the miniftry received from the people. More than 160 members loft their feats. Meeting of the new parliament. Former Speaker re-chofen. Subftance of his Majefty's speech. Addreffes. Mr. Burke's Speech on the measure of diffolving the late parliament. His proposed remonstrance to the throne. Commutation all-debate thereon. Bills for fettling the Eaft India dividend, for refpite of duties, and for the better government of the affairs of that company; analyfis The budget-its contents. of the latter, and sketch of the debates thereon. Bill for the refloration of eftates forfeited in the rebellion of 1745. The Lord Chancellor's argument against it; it however paffes. Conclufion of the feffion. Subftance of the king's Speech. CHA P. X. [148 The fecond feffion of the parliament opened. The king's speech recommends the final adjustment of the commercial intercourse with Ireland, the further Suppreffion of Smuggling, the confideration of the reports of the commiffioners of accounts, and the making regulations in different offices. Earl of Surrey's exceptions to the Speech. The minifter's anfwer Lord North's animad. verfions on the mention which had been made of a parliamentary reform.Mr. Burke objects to the Speech, on account of its taking no notice of India affairs, and proposes an amendment in the addrefs. Minifter replies to Lord North. Hiftory of the celebrated Westminster election, which continued for upwards of fix weeks, and was concluded only on the day previous to the return of the writ. High bailiff grants a fcruti1y, which is protested against by Mr. Fox. Brought before parliament, and often difcuffed. Arguments for and against the fcrutiny. Mr. Fox's animated Mr. Pitt's reply, charging appeal, farcaftically attacking the minifter. Mr. Fox with deteftable conduct in politics. Various questions and divifions on the fubject. The fcrutiny at last quashed, and lord Hood and Mr. Fox in confequence returned. Provifions by Mr. Fox's India bill, for adjusting the Nabob of Arcot's dehis; alfo by Mr. Pitt's. Court of directors purfue measures, in confequence of directions in the latter, which are fuperfeded by the board of controul. Earl of Carlife's motion there" thereon-warmly debated, but negatived without a divifion. The fame [170 Extract of a dispatch from Major General Stuart, commander in chief of bis Majefty's and the Eaft India company's forces on the coast of Coromandel, dated June 27, 178;, received January 9, 1784 Letter to the felect committee at Madras, containing the particulars of the re- pulfe of the French, on 25th June, 1783 Extract of a letter from Vice Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, commander in chief of his Majefty's fhips and veffels in the Eaft Indies, dated July 25, |