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1798

The good effects resulting from the activity of the Irish government in this affair were rendered more complete by a subsequent event at sea. Admiral sir J. Borlase Warren, falling in with a French squadron, consisting of one ship of the line and eight frigates, freighted with troops and stores for Ireland, captured the hoche man of war, and several frigates; and the remainder, except two, eventually fell into the hands of the English.Such was the termination of an invasion which appears evidently to have originated in the erroneous representations made to the French government respecting the general disposition of the Irish nation. The rebellious disposition of a part of the people was misrepresented as a general disaffection. And the French government vainly flattered themselves that disaffection to the English government would induce them to throw themselves under the dominion, or, as it was speciously called, the protection of France.

If the intestine troubles in Ireland, if the base desertion of the coalition by Prussia, and the constrained submission of Holland, Spain, Sardinia and the emperor, if a threatened invasion from an enemy who had triumphed over the other neighbouring powers and was now left to contend with us unprotected by allies, were not causes of dismay, they, at least, offered the most forcible reasons for every exertion of the state and nation to prepare for defence. Accordingly we find that the providing supplies adequate to the vast expenditure of the government was the minister's first object on the meeting of parliament in the autumn; and that the sum total of ways and means devised by him amounted to £.33,980,672.

The attention of the house was then directed to the measures proposed for the national defence, and for giving the greatest effect to that zeal with which various descriptions of men discovered their disposition to support the royal standard in this hour of extreme danger.-An act was passed to enable such as had been drafted for the supplemental militia, raised by virtue of an act of the last session, to enlist into the regular army, without being liable to be reclaimed.-This was followed by an act to enable his majesty to provide more effectually for the security and defence of the realm, and to indemnify persons who might suffer in their property by such measures as might be thought necessary for that purpose. The object of

this

Annual Register. 165.

55

this measure was to enable government, by a parochial array, to inform itself of the strength which, in case of emergency, it was capable of exerting, and to prepare for the most advantageous application of it.-A third measure for the national security was the suspension of the habeas corpus; which was adopted on the grounds of the encouragement given to our enemy by the traitorous correspondence of disaffected individuals and

societies."

The appearances of disaffection in these persons, who, under various pretences, were concerting the means of accomplishing their designs against the state, was, happily, contrasted by the loyalty of others.-Of this we have an eminent example in the merchants and other inhabitants of Liverpool: who, unwilling to throw the burthen of guarding their port on the state, generously requested that they might be permitted to erect batteries, fit out gun-boats, and prepare any other means of defence that might be deemed necessary, at their own expence. This proposal was gladly acceded to; and the sense which his majesty and the government entertained of their loyal and patriotic behaviour was expressed by the premier. P

Alarming accounts being, in the mean-time, received of the state of Ireland, some very animated debates ensued on the affairs of that kingdom. The mutinous disposition which had manifested itself among them was assigned by the ministers as the reasons for strong coercive measures: it was asserted by lord Grenville that a plan had been discovered for separating Ireland from Great Britain; which appeared to have been suggested by France. On the other hand, the extreme distress of the nation and the hardships which they endured were painted in glowing colours by lord Moira and others who had been eye-witnesses of their miseries. Unfortunately, their grievances were such as originated in the very nature of a subordinate kingdom and other causes which it will be found difficult to remedy-such as the oppression practised by the deputies of absentee proprietors, a want of attention to improvements in the landed property and the system of leasing it, a want of capital, for the establishment of manufactures, a consequent want of industry in the people, which renders them excessively indigent and disposes them to embrace the desperate expedients

1798

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1798

expedients of marauding, robbery, or revolt, for relieving their necessities
or procuring that melioration of their condition which appeared to be
disregarded by their superiors.-These are evils which then only will be
remedied, when wise and patriotic individuals shall, under the auspices of the
state, introduce practices which are the reverse of those which have given
rise to them, and shall invigorate the nation, and dispose them to indus-
trious exertions, by shewing them that they areobjects of their regard, and
by employing their wealth in promoting their prosperity. These, however,
are remedies of gradual effect.-In the mean-time, the present safety of
that kingdom was to be provided for. The opposition in both houses
recommended a change of system, and the adoption of lenient instead of
coercive measures. The ministry, on the contrary, without controverting
the general expediency of such a system, insisted on the danger which
must attend the adopting it at this crisis.-Agreeably with the sentiments of
government on this subject, on a tender from several regiments of militia
of their services, to be employed in aid of the regular and militia forces
in Ireland, it was proposed virtually to enable his majesty to accept these
offers, by empowering him" to take all such measures as might be neces-
sary, to disappoint or defeat any enterprises or designs of his enemies, as
"the exigencies of his affairs might require."-After warm debates, an
address of approbation was carried by great majorities in both houses. || '
The period which intervened between the two sessions of this year was
distinguished by events which cheered the spirits of the nation, and enabled
his majesty to greet his parliament, on its reassembling in the autumn, †
with information of the most grateful nature. The suppression of the
revolt in Ireland, the detection of the machinations of those who had
conspired with our enemies for the subversion of the established govern-
ment, the memorable victory obtained by admiral Nelson near the mouths
of the Nile, whereby the projected invasion was completely frustrated,
and the effects of this glorious achievement in encouraging Austria to
renew the war, and Russia and the Porte to unite with us in opposing the
progress of the French arms, afforded agreeable subjects of contemplation.
-Testimonies of loyalty were seen in the addresses on his majesty's speech
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correspondent with what had been before manifested in the readiness with which his subjects had associated for the national defence. And notwithstanding the public burthens were great beyond example, yet men acquiesced in them with patience when they received a compensation for the comforts which they were obliged to deny themselves in the honour of the British arms and the security of the kingdom.-Conscious of his parliamentary weight, and persuaded of the expediency of making every practicable exertion towards raising a revenue adequate to the public expenditure, rather than distress posterity by a larger addition to the national debt, the minister came boldly forward with a proposal for a tax on income, to take place of the triple assessment. This measure was strenuously opposed, particularly on account of the prejudicial effects which it would have on trade by the disclosure of the circumstances of mercantile men. But these and other reasons for rejecting it were outweighed by a conviction of its general expediency; and an act for that purpose was passed in the ensuing year."

The British ministers on the continent, in the mean-time, were employed in negotiations to revive the coalition; and part of the ample supplies which this financial effort was to produce was directed to the accomplishment of that purpose.-The death of Frederic William, who had ruined the allied cause by his desertion of it, afforded our government hopes that Prussia might be brought to rejoin the confederacy. A change of councils in the court of Petersburg was propitious to their views. The premier, immediately availed himself of its disposition to warlike measures, to set on foot a negotiation for an offensive alliance with the emperor, the result of which will be seen in the ensuing year.

1798

FRANCE,

Ann. Regist. 1799. 187.

VOL. IV.

I

1798

FRANCE, HOLLAND, ITALY, AND SWITZERLAND.

AMIDST the civil feuds which distracted the French government, their warlike operations were not relaxed, nor the intrigues of its agents in every part of Europe intermitted.-Every power which had confederated against France, except Great Britain, had either been seduced from the common cause by the lure of self-interest or intimidated by the fear of its vengeance, or had been subdued by force of arms. But the arduous task still remained of undermining the British constitution, or forcing its government to become subservient to the ambitious views of the French republic, or, more properly speaking, of the faction which now predominated in it.— We have seen the plots formed to seduce the Irish nation from their allegiance and raise a revolt in that country, which was to have been supported by a powerful invasion, and we have had occasion to rejoice in the unsuccessful issue of it.

In the mean-time, as a foundation for every other measure to distress Great Britain, the inventive genius of the French nation was employed in fabricating falsehoods to asperse the English ministry, and exasperate the people against them. With that view a letter was forged, supposed to be written by lord Malmsbury, acknowledging that he had no real intentions to conclude a treaty with France by his late negotiations, and that he considered this kingdom as on the point of a counter-revolution, which would render a treaty unnecessary. When the public mind was thus prepared for other aspersions, a violent proclamation was published, Charging the British government with being the authors of all the calamities consequent on the war. And this was followed by a representation in the same strain of virulence, portraying Great Britain as a power which was endeavouring to usurp the dominion of the seas, to engross the commerce of the whole world; which was ready to sacrifice every consideration of justice, humanity, and honour, to the gratification of that passion; and which had made the most strenuous efforts to render the powers of Europe subservient to its views of bringing ruin on the French state and nation."The

Annual Register. 40.

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