which he and all men see must necessarily produce reform. Some of those now in his majesty's cabinet have involved the country in war, not from a dread of the power of France, but from jealousy of the commons of England: they fear that the commons of England may be influenced by the example of France to claim their rights; to claim that no peer should interfere in the election of a member of the house of commons; that every member of this house should sit by the election of a body of the commonalty; and that it should become, what the law has directed it to be, the actual representative of all the commons of England. This is a ground of terror to peers, proprietors of boroughs; and there are some among his majesty's ministers who are infected with this fear.' The honorable member also argued against the imposition of the tax, from the character of the minister to whom the produce was to be entrusted. 'He denied that the chancellor of the exchequer had the abilities necessary to save the country: he had no wish to injure his reputation, or to deny his talents as a debater, for which he possessed sarcasm, sneers, irony, and wit; more especially the skill of multiplying and stringing together his words, so that it was hardly possible to affix a precise meaning to them to this he joined the happy talent of misrepresenting the arguments of his adversaries, and great dexterity in cheering the pretorian bands around him, who were ready to laugh whenever he gave the signal by a smile: but, had he one of the qualities that constitute a great statesman? was he an able war minister, a skilful financier, or a successful negociator? His very friends acknowleged that he was not an able war minister; and how could they avoid it? Beginning the war with all the powers of Europe on his side, he so conducted it, that every ally had abandoned us or been subdued; while France had been exalted to a power almost beyond the dreams of ambition. View him,' said Mr. Nicholls, as a financier: the funding system exhausted by his folly, in supposing there were no limits to the supply afforded by the money-market; a paper money established; taxes on consumption no longer practicable; while recourse is had to a requisition on income, though he himself acknowleges that it will be unequal, and therefore unjust; that it will destroy the employment of the artisan, diminish the present revenue, and by so doing weaken the security of the fundholder. Then what is he as a negociator? he tells you himself that he has three times attempted to make peace; always sincerely, but always unsuccessfully. View him as a statesman, beginning with the autumn of 1789,

when the French king was carried prisoner to Paris. A great statesman would have seen that this was a moment of no little consequence to England: he would have seen that the French government was in a state of dissolution, incapable of resisting any pacific plans of the British minister, and that he might carry into effect many measures beneficial to his country: but what was his conduct? His first measure, in 1790, was a foolish dispute with Spain, ill-conducted and disgracefully terminated; when he might have convinced that country, that the Bourbons being dethroned in France, it was now the interest of Spain to renew her ancient, natural, and national alliance with this country. In the year following, another foolish contest with Russia. In 1792, Austria and Prussia invaded France; yet he neither assisted the invaders, nor conciliated the confidence of the French. In 1793, he engaged in the war; and how has he conducted it? One of his great political measures was to starve France; a measure, which any man of the least reflection must have seen, would, if successful, have produced a famine here. If France was distressed for corn, and this country abounded, it was obvious she would draw grain from hence, by the assistance of the smuggler; while, if both countries wanted corn, England would find France her competitor in every market: but I will rest my opinion of him, as a statesman, on the late negociation; I mean after the fourth of September; after his paltry intrigue to overturn the French government had failed. He knew that Austria would make a separate peace, if this country determined to continue the war; he knew, that in consequence of that peace, France would establish her ascendency in Italy and the Mediterranean; while Portugal and Germany, as well as Spain and Holland, would stand in awe of her power; he knew the situation of Ireland; he knew that he had exhausted the funding system; that he had been obliged to have recourse to the perilous measure of paper money; that he could no longer lay taxes on consumption, and that he must have recourse to this new method of a requisition on income; yet, knowing all this, he wanted the political wisdom to see that this country ought to make peace in conjunction with Austria; that if this country were the last to relinquish the war, it would make peace on the most disadvantageous terms: but he determined to expose us to all hazards, in hopes of retaining Trinidad, the Cape of Good Hope, and Trincomalee.

"It has been said by an honorable alderman, that although the bill is odious, those he converses with fear nothing so much

as the removal of the chancellor of the exchequer possibly this is true those who profit by the wasteful expenditure of public money, can never find a minister more suited to their wishes. When the chancellor of the exchequer was first advanced to power, it is not surprising that he was then viewed with partiality: we remembered his father's virtues, his talents, his services: we easily believe what we wish; and we were willing to believe that the country would derive much benefit from the son's administration. We had observed, that in the father, the talents of the statesman had been accompanied with the powers of eloquence: we admired the fluency with which the son addressed this house; and from his resemblance to his father in this faculty, we presumed that he resembled him in all the qualities of a statesman. Casual observers did not remark the difference between the father's eloquence and the son's in the father, political wisdom was the groundwork, eloquence the result; he spoke forcibly, because he had reflected deeply in the son, the art of talking is the groundwork; and he has never acquired political wisdom.'

Other speakers represented this new scheme of finance as similar in principle to the exactions of Robespierre, and from its retrospective operation more iniquitous: it was said to be a change of system, imposing an immense burden on the people without producing any advantage: the funding system was not exhausted; the difficulty attending great loans, was that of providing the interest: but how could ministers insist on this, when they were imposing so large a sum on the country in one year? The measure would be as oppressive in operation, as it was unjust in principle.

Ministers answered, that the funding system was not abandoned; since only a comparatively small part of the supplies this year were to be raised by the new mode; that assessed taxes, resulting from probable expenditure, were a fair criterion of income; and that the various modifications would prevent the inconveniences apprehended. During the progress of the bill, a clause was introduced by the speaker, to admit voluntary contributions towards the general defence of the country, now menaced with invasion: the sum thus raised amounted to £1,500,000; to which the bank of England contributed £200,000, his majesty £20,000, and the queen £5000. Many were the noble offerings made on this occasion by corporate bodies and private individuals, noted for their ancient possessions or commercial opulence; while the defenders of our shores by sea and land vied with each other in

this honorable contest: nor were the contributions less gratifying which flowed from tradesmen, mechanics, and servants; who thus showed their attachment to a constitution, which guards the fruit of humble industry with as much care and equity as the splendid inheritance of the highest nobility: even children sacrificed the means of gratification or amusement, to show their love for that country which they might be called on to defend in their maturer years.

On the sixteenth of November, this year, died Frederic William II., king of Prussia: he was succeeded by his present majesty, Frederic William III., who introduced considerable reforms into the court and ministry; though no material change took place in the organisation of the state, or its foreign relations. The congress met at Radstadt, on the ninth of December, under melancholy auspices for the empire, which could only be supported by the closest union of Austria and Prussia, whom new projects and new prospects kept asunder; while the surrender of Mayence, with the capture of Ehrenbreitstein, during the negociations, which lasted till April 1799, showed beforehand the situation of Germany. Among the minor events of diplomacy, it may be mentioned to the credit of Buonaparte, that chiefly through his interference, the marquis de la Fayette and his companions were released from prison at Olmutz, where they had been treated with much rigor by the Austrian government.

CHAP. XLI.

GEORGE III. (CONTINUED.)-1798.

Redemption of the land-tax-Bill for supplementary militia; armed associations of volunteers-Bill for manning the navyDuel between Mr. Pitt and Tierney-Second estimate of supplies-Slave trade-Offer of militia regiments to serve in Ireland-Origin, conduct, and close of the Irish rebellion-French attempts on Ireland unsuccessful--Plan of the Egyptian expedition- French attack on Switzerland-Expedition departs from Toulon-Capture of Malta-Arrival at Alexandria-Capture of Grand Cairo-Sir Horatio Nelson appointed to pursue the French fleet, &c.-Manœuvres previous to the battle of the Nile-Defeat of the French fleet-Political effects of this action-Unsuccessful attempt against Ostend-Capture of Minorca-Loss of St. Domingo-Meeting of parliament, and king's speech-General measures-Army, navy, and supplies-Income tax-Treaty with Russia-Mr. Tierney's motion, and Canning's reply-Subsidy voted to the emperor Paul, &c.-New coalition-Joined by Austria-State of Italy-Occupation of Rome by French troops, &c.-Affairs of Naples-Capital occupied by French troops-Flight of the king and queen to Palermo-Consideration of the union with Ireland.

ANOTHER important measure of finance, proposed and carried by Mr. Pitt early this session, was the redemption of the land-tax its object was to absorb a large portion of stock, and convert a quantity of national debt into a landed security. The annual revenue at this time, proceeding from the tax, amounted to £2,000,000: this it was proposed to sell at twenty years purchase, when the three per cent consols were at fifty, subject to a rise in price, according to the rise of stocks: £40,000,000, the present amount of the land-tax at twenty years purchase, would amount to £80,000,000, three per cent stock, affording an interest of £2,400,000: and leaving an