un

this country, where fuch an event muft reft on the broadeft foundations of popularity, it was reasonable to think that fo infignificant and diminutive a fet of men could feriously, with any remains of fanity in their minds, have engaged in fuch an undertaking. He concluded a long fpeech of great animation, by recommending principles of moderation as the firmeft fecurity of government, and finally moving to omit that part of the addrefs which specified the perfuafion of the Houfe, that a confpiracy had been carrying on against the constitution.

Sir William Dolben warmly rejected the propofed amendment, as difrefpectful to the Lords, and tending to expofe the proceedings of both Houfes on the fubject be 'fore them, to public derifion. Were fuch an amendment adopted, we fhould then have, he faid, a paffive obedient King, non- refifting Lords, and a rampant republican

Houfe of Commons.

The Attorney General, in fupport of the addrefs, contended that the focieties had inconteftibly the moft treasonable views. He confidered, in particular, that which was ftyled the Friends of the People; and another inftituted for the Liberty of the Prefs, as peculiarly dangerous, from the perfons of birth and diftinction that formed them; the latter of these focieties made it their bufinefs to applaud and patronize individuals convicted of mifdemeanours against govern ment, and to extol the integrity and patriotifm of thofe members of the law who had pleaded their caufe, as if those retained on the oppofite fide merited reprobation. He warmly maintained the pro

The ex

priety of the addrefs. preffions it contained relating to the confpiracy, were founded on indubitable facts; and to retrench them, would deprive it of the most effential part. The measures propofed by miniftry, were the most appofite to the threatened evils; they went to prevent them; which was certainly better than to wait till the punishment became neceffary. Had government taken preventive meafures in the year 1780, much mifchief would have been obviated. The iffue of this long and warm debate, was the rejection of Mr. Fox's amendment, and the paffing of the address.

In this manner terminated the parliamentary difcuffions on the apprehenfion of the members of the focieties, and the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus act. Those members remained, in confequence, close prifoners in the Tower, till they were brought to a folemn trial before a special commiffion at the Old Bailey, on the 25th of October. A bill of indictment had been previously found by the grand jury, at the Seffions-Houfe, Clerkenwell, on the 2d of October, against Thomas Hardy, John Horne Tooke, J. A.Bonney, Stewart Kydd, Jeremiah Joice, Thomas Wardell, Thomas Holcroft, John Richter, Matthew Moore, John Thelwall, R. Hodfon, John Baxter, and John Martin.-The first person tried was Mr. Hardy :-His trial began with a long statement, fpecifying nine overt acts of treafon, wherein his fellow-prifoners were equally involved. They were accused of having confpired to raise a rebellion in the kingdom, in order to fubvert the government, and depofe the King. For this purpose they

had

had compofed and published various books and addreffes, recommending the election of delegates to a convention: they had con fulted on the means of forming a convention, and where it might be held: they had agreed among themselves and others, to meet together for the execution of those purposes: they had procured arms to be made to that intent; and they had refolved to aid the King's ene

mies.

The fpeech made by the Attorney General, on opening the profecution, lafted nine hours: it contained a circumftantial account of all the particulars mentioned in the reports of the secret committee. Among the papers he produced in evidence, many were intemperate, and abufive of perfons in the miniftry, and of high rank in official departments; but however fevere on the character of individuals, or rath in the expreffion of fentiments, no charge of treafon could ftrictly be brought against the writers.

It was a remarkable circumstance on this celebrated trial, that of thofe witnesses who deferved credit, none criminated the prifoner; and that those who depofed against him, were found, on examination, to deferve none. Another circumftance no lefs favourable to him, was, that the proceedings of the focieties were of public notoriety. They had applied to members of parliament, earnestly foliciting that they would prefent their petitions to the House of Commons for a parliamentary reform; which appeared uniformly to be the fole object of their requeft. The legality of Mr. Hardy's conduct was convincingly proved from the answers to every queftion, and crofs examination by thofe who

were fummoned to give their evi dence. A variety of means was tried to fubftantiate and bring the charges of treasonable practices home to the prisoner; but they proved ineffectual; and the goodnefs of his character repulfed every infinuation to his disadvantage.

The fpeeches of Mr. Erskine and Mr. Gibbs, in defence of Mr. Hardy, were univerfally confidered as finifhed pieces of profeffional knowledge and eloquence. The public was loud in its mutual congratulations on the forcible and effective manner in which they filenced every attempt to establish the fatal doctrine of conftructive treafon.

The fatisfaction of the public on the acquittal of Mr. Hardy, which took place on the 5th of November, was for this reafon great, and expreffed without reftraint. Every man felt himself interested in oppofing the introduction of maxims deftructive of all perfonal fecurity, and that fubjected him to the iniquitous interpretation of the law in cafes that ought never to need explanation.

The trial of Mr. Hardy lafted eight days; during which the anxiety of all men how it would terminate, was vifible not only in the metropolis, but in every place throughout the kingdom. When the circumftances of the trial were made known, the verdict of the jury impreffed the public with the highest fenfe of the importance of that strongest bulwark to juftice and liberty, that had been felt for many years.

Mr. Tooke was tried on the 17th of November: his perfonal character and his diftinguished talents contributed to render his trial peculiarly remarkable. It was

attended by perfonages of the firft rank. The abilities of Mr. Erfkine and Mr. Gibbs were again eminently displayed in his defence; and, notwithstanding the endeavours to criminate him, he was cleared of every charge and imputation brought against him on this occafion; and his acquittal was accompanied with the fame approbation and applaufe that had marked the preceding.

Mr. Thelwall was tried on the 22d. The grounds of accufation were much the fame as thofe alJeged against the other prifoners, with the addition only of rafh and violent language on particular occafions: but the evidence in proof of this allegation, which was that of two informers, being fully invalidated, he was alfo acquitted, to the great fatisfaction of the public. The zeal and capacity of Mr. Erfkine and Mr. Gibbs were exerted in his caufe, as they had been in the two former. They were no lefs ready to undertake the defence of the remaining prifoners; but this task was rendered unneceflary by

the ceffation of all further prosecu tions on the part of the crown; in confequence of which all the perfons indicted were fet at liberty.

Such was the issue of a business, which had by numbers been expected to have terminated in quite another manner. Those partizans of miniftry who, previously to those trials, had manifefted fanguine hopes that the arrested members of the focieties would have been condemned to fevere punishment, did not appear fo diffatisfied at their acquittal as it had been presumed. They could not help perceiving the dangerous confequences to which they themselves muft in common with all men have been expofed, had that condemnation enfued of which they were fo imprudently defirous. Thofe alfo who had been alarmed by rumours of the vaft ftrength of that party, from which disturbances were dreaded, could not fail of being gratified at the difcovery, that its power and means to effect the purposes imputed to it, were too inconfiderable to excite any reafonable apprehenfions.

THE HE fellions of parliament were now drawing to a clofe; but the intelligence from the continent did not prouife miniftry an opportunity of difmifing the members with any well-founded hopes of fuccefs to the arms of the confederacy. On the eve of the prorogation, oppofition entered into an aninated difcuffion on the fituation

of affairs, and the gloominefs of the profpect abroad.

Mr. Sheridan moved for an account of the money advanced to the King of Pruffia, and of the number of troops employed by him in the fervice of the coalition. What was the King of Pruffia doing? Was he maffacring the Poles, or was he fulfilling the ftipulations of

the

for their reciprocal intereft; on the profperous iffue of which depended the future fecurity of this and every country in Europe.

It remains for us to fatisfy the curiofity of our readers, by a fummary account of the feveral objects, just mentioned, of his Majefty's congratulations to parliament. On the morning of the 28th of May, the French fleet were difcovered far to windward by the British Channel fleet, under Lord Howe, cruizing off the north-west coast of Brittany. The French fleet confifted of 26 fhips of the line; the British of 25. Partial actions took place on the evening of the 26th; and on the 29th, by vast exertions, the British Admiral weathered the enemy's line. On the morning of the ift of June, he beheld them to leeward, waiting his approach, and not declining battle. He foon brought the hoftile fleet to a general and decifive action. Six fail of the line were taken, one funk, and many crippled. The difabled fhips, with the remainder, retired from the fcene of action, and took shelter in the harbour of Breft. The ufual intrepidity and exertion of British feamen were fully displayed on this glorious day; but it was a hard conteft. The valour of tre French could not be exceeded; and it is but justice to fay, that the victory turned on the British Admiral's fuperior knowledge of naval tactics. His own fhip, the Queen Charlotte, of 100 guns, and a few more, gallantly went through the enemy's line; and by this, combined with other maneuvres, obtained the weather-gage: and again on the day of the general action, he performed the oppofite manœuvre, by breaking through their

line, and fighting them in clofe action to leeward.

While the enemy's fleet went back into port, ours regained, in triumph, their native fhore; and were welcomed with the loudest applaufe by all ranks and degrees of loyal fubjects. The grateful public, with the ufual fympathy by which our countrymen are fo much diftinguifhed, generously contributed to affuage the fufferings of the wounded and maimed, and to dry up the tears of the fatherless and widow.

Though the attempt on Martinico in 1793 had failed, the plan of reducing the French islands was not abandoned. An army of 5000 men, commanded by General Sir Charles Grey, protected by a fleet under the command of Sir John Jarvis, failing in the end of 1793, for the Weft Indies, reduced Martinico after a gallant refiftance on the part of the French, in the diffe rent forts, particularly in Fort Bourbon, the laft that fell; where the Generaliffimo, Rochambeau, commanded. The date of this event was the 25th of March 1794. Soon after this, the English made themselves mafters alfo of St. Lucia and Guadaloupe, with its dependencies, the Saints, Marie Galante, and Defiderade. The island of Tobago, as mentioned in our last volume, had already fallen once more under the protection of the British arms and government.

The burning bilious fever incident to Europeans in hot climates, and called, from the tinge which it gives in its laft ftage to the complexion, the Yellow Fever, is at all times to be dreaded by troops newly arrived from northern regions; but particularly in war, when the blood