CHAP. LII. 1793. success of alone. the valuable island of Tobago was captured by a British squadron under admiral Laforey, about the beginning of April. From an early period of the French revolution, the West India islands belonging to France, and particu- Rapid larly St. Domingo, had been agitated and convulsed by the British the revolutionary spirit, and by premature and injudicious where they attempts to confer the rights of free citizens, in that part fought of the globe, upon the " people of colour," who constitute a large proportion of the inhabitants. From the dread- Conquests ful internal commotions, St. Domingo was a scene of in the devastation and bloodshed. In July, fort Jeremie, and East cape Nicola Mole, being attacked by the British squadron, surrendered themselves. In the gulf of St. Lawrence, the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, were captured. In the East Indies, the company's troops, in the first campaign of the war, reduced Pondicherry, and all the settlements of the French on the coasts of Malabar and Coromandel. See Belsham's History, vol. v. page 101. West and ladies: CHAP. LIII. Projects of political reform.-Club of united Irishmen.Institution and objects.Convention bill.--Britain--great numbers are infected with a desire of change.— Causes ignorance, vanity, and visionary enthusiasm more than malignant intention.-Propensity in the lower orders to be spokesmen-arises from the free interchange of opinion which Britons enjoy-at this time is abused. -Dangerous tendency of certain political associations and sentiments.-Scotland.-Messrs. Muir and Palmer. -trials of for sedition. They are sentenced to transportation. The punishment is represented as excessive, and even illegal.-Scotch convention for new modelling the constitution-consists chiefly of persons of low condition-dispersed by the civil power.-Their leaders are tried and sentenced to transportation.—Meeting of parliament. Mr. Fox and his supporters recommend peace -arguments against and for.—Mr. Pitt's reasoning on the war, and the internal system of Franee.-Lord Mornington's view of the subject.—A great majority approve of the continuance of the war.-Messrs. Fox and Sheridan impute to the combination the astonishing efforts of France.-Discussion of the question with whom should we treat.-The opponents of the war predict the dissolution of the confederacy, and the triumph of the French.-Mr. Fox complains that the object of the war is indefinite-contrasted with former wars.He prophecies that the war with France, like the war with America, would terminate in disappointment.Various motions for peace-rejected.-Questions respecting the trials for sedition in Scotland.-Mr. Adam's proposed amendment of the Scottish criminal law-debate negatived.-Proposed inquiry into the conduct of the Scottish judges.-His speech on that subject.-Reply of the lord advocate.-The motion of Mr. Adam is rejected. Third proposition of Mr. Adam for assimilating the Scottish to the English criminal law.-Masterly Speech of Mr. Adam on that subject.-Answer of Mr. Dundas. Reply of Mr. Fox.-The proposition is negatived.-Progress of the innovating spirit among the lower ranks.-Seditious lectures against the British constitution, and kingly government.-Proceedings of the democratic societies. Plan of a national conventiondiscovered by ministers-leaders arrested, and papers seized.-Committees of both houses appointed to examine their papers-from the reports, Mr. Pitt proposes a bill for detaining suspected persons without allowing them the benefit of the habeas corpus act-bill passed into a law. Ministers including lord Loughborough the chancellor, consider the crimes charged as high treason.Lord Thurlow asserts, that by the law of England they are not treason.Supplies, subsidies, and taxes.-Debate on the introduction of Hessian troops.-Apprehensions of an invasion.-Voluntary contributions for levying troops. Session closes.-Internal proceedings in France. —Facobin faction and Robespierre paramount.—Iniquitous trial, condemnation, and punishment of the queen. -Brissot and the other, Gironde prisoners put to death. -Orleans shares the same fate.-Danton overborne by Robespierre. The Parisian mob adore Robespierre.Real talents and character. 117 CHAP. LIII. THE chief internal occurrences of this year regarded projects of political reform. In Ireland a society was established for promoting a complete emancipation of 1793. the catholics; that is a thorough exemption from all legal Project of political disabilities, and a radical reform of parliament on the reform. principles of universal suffrage and annual elections. This club, constructed on the model of the affiliated jacobins, Club of took the name of the United Irishmen, which was after- United wards productive of such dangerous consequences. In the Irish parliament an act had been passed, granting relief to the catholics, but by no means so extensive as their supporters in and out of parliament desired. They were allowed to exercise all civil and military offices under the crown, except in the very highest departments of the law and state; and they were prohibited from sitting in par Irishmen. LIII. 1793. Conven tion bill. CHAP. liament. The executive government appeared well inclined to extend the relief, but the apprehensions of the protestant party were so deeply rooted, as to render it inInstitution expedient in the legislature to proceed any farther at that and objects. period. The united Irishmen, as a party, were not particularly connected with the catholics, but consisted of the votaries of innovation' in general; held assemblies for concerting and preparing means to promote their schemes of change. These meetings being considered as dangerous in the present ferment, a law was passed by the Irish parliament for preventing such assemblies being specifically described, both in nature and purpose, so as to restrain innovating cabals: the new act was known by the title of the convention bill. While the legislature endeavoured to prevent pernicious assemblies in Ireland, projects were formed in Britain by bodies of individuals for holding a convention, which should speak the national voice, and effect such changes as in the judgments of these politicians should appear necessary for the regeneration of Britain. Britain. Great numbers ed with the desire of change. THE revolutionary doctrines of France spreading into this island, produced a desire of change, which was are infect different in object and extent according to the circumstances, knowledge, and character of their votaries. Men of desperate fortune or reputation might desire a subversion of government, in hopes of profiting by the general confusion, and no doubt there were such men in the clubs which were supposed to seek revolution. These were a kind of associates that revolutionary leaders might be sure to acquire, according to the believed probability of sucCauses- cess. But if their conduct be candidly reviewed, by far ignorance, vanity, and the greater number of the associated votaries of indefinite visionary change will appear to have been misled by folly, ignoasm, more rance, or visionary enthusiasm, rather than prompted by lignant malignant intentions. A passion which produced the adintentions. dition of many members to these clubs, was vanity. enthusi than ma They wished to make a figure in spheres for which their education and condition rendered them totally unfit. The supposed exaltation of the people in France, inspired r See Reports of Irish Committees in 1797 and 1798. in the low to be the free in which Bri many well disposed manufacturers, mechanics, tradesmen, CHAP. and peasants with a desire of reaching the same distinction, and stimulated them to exercise their talents as 1793. orators and lawgivers. There is, indeed, in the lower Propensity orders of our countrymen a peculiar propensity to ora- er orders tory: the free constitution under which they live empow- spokesers them to utter their sentiments and opinions with men ; open boldness; the love of social and convivial inter- arises from course very naturally following an unrestrained inter- terchange change of thoughts and feelings, produces clubs, which of opinion at this period were very numerous. These requiring tons enjoy: some kind of methodical arrangement, introduced some kind of order and system in addresses and replies beyond the desultory irregularity of conversation. Hence arose debate, which generated emulation to distinguish themselves in their circle of companions; the members respectively tried to be spokesmen. As their oratorial talents, in their own apprehension, increased, they wished for a wider field of exercise; this they found in vestries or other meetings of local arrangement; or sometimes betook themselves to debating societies, where they could exhibit their eloquence and wisdom on subjects of erudition, philosophy, and politics. From these causes there was, especially through the great towns, a predisposition in people of low rank, without education and literature, to recreate themselves with speeches and dissertations. The visions of French equality held out to their fancies and passions pleasing images and powerful incentives; increased the objects of their eloquence and political exertions, proposed so wide fields for exercise, and promised such rewards as stimulated great numbers to seek change, less at this time from dissatisfaction with the present than from sanguine expectations of the future; and rendered them desirous of reforming assemblies, not so much with a view to overthrow the established constitution, to crush king, lords, and commons, as to distinguish themselves in the proposed conventions. That some of the ringleaders desired the subversion of our existing establishments, admits very s At the trial of Hardy, the shoemaker, one Wills a dancingmaster, who had accompanied the defendant to the corresponding society, being interrogated as to his own motives for resorting to that meeting, replied that he had a pleasure in hearing the conversation of clever men. See State Trials 1794. is abused. |