object of debate, and exercised the abilities of both ministry and opposition: but after a long and anis mated conteft, the motion was negatived in the house of lords, by one tandred and ten against ten; and, in' the house of commons, by two handred and Gxteen against forty. fwo. A repetition took place on the fame day in the house of lords, of the difcuffion upon the state of the revenue, the taxes, the imports and exports, and the other financial circumflunces of the nation at the close of the American war, and at the prefent period. The earl of Moira combated the pofitions of lord Auk land in the preceding debate, and the latter exerted himself to maintain them. Numerous and intricate were the calculations on both fides. Lord Lauderdale zealoufly supported the earl of Moira, and entered into a great variety of particulars to prove the jusiness of his researches and computations: herein he was feconded by the marquis of Lanfdowne, and opposed by lords Coventry and Hawkesbury, who took much pains to represent the statements of lord Moira as erroneous. The fame fubject was refumed, on the thirteenth, by lord Lauderdale, who difplayed great financial knowledge in his arrangement of the matter of debate. His fupporters were the marquis of Lans downe and the earl of Moira; and his opponents, lords Grenville, Hawkesbury, and Aukland. The inferences from the arguments and statements produced by the refpective parties. were contradictory in the extreme; the one representing the fituation of this country as re plete with the most arduous difficul ties, and almost verging to ruin; and the other deferibing it as full of opulence and resources of every denomination, and able, with proper management, to encounter and furmount every obstacle, and to flourish with more luftre than ever. Such were the most material tranfactions of parliament during this feffiom. An attempt was made, by Mr. Wilberforce, to enforce the decifion of the house, that the abo lition of the flave-trade should take place on the first day of the year 1796, but his motion was negatived." by a majority of four, and his fub... sequent endeavours to regulate the flave-carrying trade, by the propor tion of tonnage, was loft for want of numbers to conftitute a house. A bill for the relief of indigent curates passed in their favour, after fome oppofition in the commons, on account of its originating in the house of lords. But a petition from. the quakers to be relieved from imprifonment for non-payment of tythes, and for allowing their affir mation to be evidence in criminal as well as civil cafes was rejected. by the lords, after passing the com mons. The humane effort made by lord Moira, în favour of perfonse confined for debt, met with no better fuccess. The tetion closed, on the nine teenth of May, with the customary speech from the throne. It inform ed the houses of the intention to dit folve the present, and to call a nev parliament. The happiest affectsp it said, had been experienced from the provifions made for preprelling sedition and civil tumult, and for refiraining the progress of princis ples Tubversive of all established gol vernmentive Final soraxe do su The The commons were thanked, in a more particular manner, for the liberal supplies they had granted, to meet the exigencies of the war. Peculiar notice was taken of the increafing resources, by which the country was enabled to fupport the great expences it required. The nature of the system introduced into France had, the speech faid, afforded to that country, in the midst of its calamities, the means of exertion, beyond the exertion of any former time; but, under the pressure of the new and unprecedented difficulties, arifing from fuch a conteft, the British conftitution had, by the counsels and conduct of parliament, been preserved inviolate against the designs of foreign and domestic enemies; the honour of the British name aflerted; the rank and station held hitherto by this country in Europe, maintained; and the decided fuperiority of its naval power, established in every quarter of the world. Such were the principal passages in the speech. It concluded with ftrong recommendations of unanimity and mutual confidence between the king and parliament, as best promoting the true dignity of the crown, and the happinefs of the subject. CHAP. CHAP. V. First Cares and Employment of the French Directory. - Determination to keep alive the Martial Spirit of the French Nation. And to Extend their Victories as far as possible. But, at the fame Time to make a shew of Pacific Inclinations.-Preparations for War on the Part of the Allies.Attempt towards Negociation between the French and the Allies at Basle, in Switzerland.-Rupture threatened between the French and Swifs Cantons.-Prevented.-Plan of Directory for Military Operations.-Manifefto of Charette.-Revival of the War in La Vendée. -New Complexion of this. Total Defeat of the Infurgente.-Capture and Execution of Charette and Stoflet.- Manifesto of the Directory for Restraining the Cruellies of their Soldiers.-Lenient Measures. - Good Effects of these. D URING the first months that followed the conftitution fettled in France towards the conclufion of 1795, the chief care of the government was to render it respectable, and to impress the minds of men with a perfuafion, that this great change was calculated for the benefit of the nation. It was not difficult, indeed, to perfuade the public that any system was preferable to that uncertainty which had occasioned fo many confufions. From this confideration, people at large willingly acquiefced in the new arrangements, especially as they promised to reftore internal peace, by arming government with such extensive power, to prevent the breaking out of disturbances. But the means to which chiefly the directory trusted for the stability of their honour was, to keep alive that martial spirit which had pervaded, with fo amazing an efficacy, the whole mass of the French nation, and enabled it to perform feats of arms, of which no records afforded any precedent in their history. As thefe fucceffes were attributed to that enthusiasm which animated them in the cause of their country, and to the hatred which they profesled for monarchy. it was the business of their rulers to perpetuate such a disposition, by affording it support and aliment; and this they faw would most etfectually be done, by representing the enmity borne to France as unextinguished, and that notwithstanding feveral of its enemies had openly laid down their arms, and agreed to conditions of peace, their rancour was still the fame. They had desisted from hoftilities, it was faid, only from compulfion, after repeated defeats, and from the dread which they felt, that unless they complied with the requifitions prescribed by a victorious and invincible enemy, justly exafperated at their unprovoked aggreffion, he might give the fuller loose to a revenge, which they were not able to refift. In order therefore to imprint the deeper in the minds of those axiverfaries, whom they had already so much humbled, the terror with which they were already inspired, the heads of the republic judged it expedient to extend the influence of their victorious arms, as far as fortune seemed inclined to favour them, and to compel their remaining foes to accept of the humiliating terms they had imposed upon the others, by reducing them to the like diftrefs. From ideas of this kind flowed the lofty language spoken upon all occafions, both by the directory and the two councils. As two-thirds of these were precisely the fame men who had governed France under the name of a convention, during the three preceding years, it was not to be expected that their difpofitions would alter with their new appellation; and the other third, though not altogether fo violent in their conduct, were influenced by those republican principles, without which no man could be reputed a true Frenchman, and which, in truth, were indispensible to pro core an individual either esteem or advancement in any post, civil or military. Another view, it may be prefumed, that stimulated the members of the directory, who were all men of tried parts and courage, was the defire of proving to their countrymen the fuperiority of individuals placed at the head of the state, "purely on account of their abilities, to perfons promoted through faTour, or the advantitious circumstances of birth and family. But a motive still more cogent, both with them and the nation at large, was the earnest defire to re Lob. pair the losses sustained, towards the close of the preceding campaign, on the borders of the Rhine. Thefe losses happening so shortly after tireir prodigious fuccefles in the low countries, and in Holland, had shewn that their enemies, however frequently defeated, had not decreased in valour; and that, when well commanded, they were still a match for all the enthusiasm of the French. It was chiefly to recover this fuperiority of military prowess, that the directory was folicitous to place the numerous armies of the republic on the most formidable footing. They had maintained, in the carnpaign of 1794, a contest with the bravest veterans in Europe, and had proved more than equal to them. By the same reason it might be expected, that, the same spisit animating them, they would renew their victorious career, which appeared fufpended, through unforefeen causes, rather than terminated by a turn of fortune in favour of their enemies. a It was however necessary to make a shew of pacific inclinations, without which both their own people and foreign states would be justly authorised to accuse them of wanton and lawless ambition, and more intent to gratify their private thirst of false glory, at the expence of their country, than studious to restore the blessings of peace, now become the earnest wish of all parties. While the rulers of the republic were thus employed, the allied powers were no less occupied in preparing for the renewal of hoftilites, little hoping that any fincere efforts for the obtaining of peace were likely to proceed from the French; French; and convinced, that until they thould experience farther reverles, they would still continue inflexible in the determination they had folemnly formed, to annex their acquifitions in the low countries, and on the left-fide of the Rhine, irrevocably to the dominions of the republic. A resolution of this nature precluded at once all ideas of peace. The retention c those fertile and fpacious provinces could not be fubmitted to without an evident alteration of the political system of Europe, of which France would posless a controul, that would perpetually disturb the peace, if not endanger the safety of all its neighbours. The poffeffion of Blgium by the various branches of the Austrian family, during more than three centuries, had fo far habituated the inhabitants to their domination, that, notwithstanding the oppreffions they had occafionally exercised over them, they still retained a willingnefs to return to their obedience, provided they could have been fecured in the enjoyment of their ancient customs and liberties. their inveteracy to this country, and their readiness to engage in any attempt to its detriment, especially at the present period, wlien they were stimulated by the most violent resentment at the interference of the British ministry in the affairs of their country, and its endeavours to restore the monarchy they had folemnly profcribed. In this conflict of adverse projects, both the republic and its enemies were equally anxious however to appear inclined to peace, coriformably to the loudly-expressed wishes of their respective people, and, in truth, of all the people in Europe, who, either directly or indirectly, felt themselves involved in the ruinous confequences of this fatal contest. The French, in the mean time, having, by the dint of negociations, as well as of their arms, brought fome of the principal members of the coalition into their own terms, flattered themselves with the expectation of becoming equally fuccessful with the others, and held out language promiflory of equitable conditions, in order to allure them to treat. The Austrian ministry was duly sensible of this difpofition, and preferved, of course, the hope of recovering, by fome fortunate cafualty, this richest portion of its inherit-agents had fixed upon it as the Batle, a city of note, in Switzerland, was now become the centre of political transactions between the different powers, whose diplomatic ance, The British ministry was no less bent on the restoration of the Austrian Netherlands to their former owner. The acceilion of fuch immense and valuable territories to France, in so close a proximity, and almost in fight of the thores of this iland, was an object of serious alarm, and called up the attention of all men who reflected on the reftiefs character of the French, moft convenient place of refidence, on account of its fituation between the Belligerent parties, in a country allowed to be neutral. The principal negociator, on the part of the French, was the celebrated citizen Barthelemy, at that time in high credit with the directory, for the fervices he had rendered, the government of France, in the treaties that had been confided to his management, |