THE backwardness, with refpect to publication, which the heavy bufinefs of the late entenfive war, and its fucceeding confequences, occafioned, excited us to make a vigorous, and, as we hoped, decifive effort, for the recovery of our former fituation in point of time. This was no lefs than to throw the whole bufinefs of two fucceeding years into one volume; paying little regard to our own trouble, when put in competition with our engagements to the Public, the fpirit of the undertaking, and the utility of the performance.

This experiment (for it was no more, and is not to be repeated) has by no means answered our expectation with respect to the faving or gaining of time. We have found the double work exceedingly heavy; and the business in its amount went far beyond our calculation. The cri-, tical circumstances, the extraordinary claims, and the alarming change in connections and policy, which appeared, within that period to be taking place in Europe, prefented an afpe&t not a little ominous to its repofe; and neceffarily rendered our foreign hiftory an object of much care, confideration, enquiry, and research. And however important foreign affairs were, our domeftic concerns were not lefs fo; and were ftill more interesting to Englishmen.

Within the period of which we treat, one parliament had been fuddenly diffolved, a new one speedily called,

and

and we had the hiftory of three feffions, filled with the most interesting matter, to recount. In that time, befides the change of one adminiftration, and the appointment of another (measures which in both cafes were attended with new and extraordinary circumftances) an unexpected and fignal revolution took place in the ftate of parties, interefts, and public opinions, throughout the kingdom. In this courfe of things, fome new, and many great conftitutional questions were agitated.

The complex and intricate ftate of East India affairs and the long courfe of enquiry which they produced, were not the leaft difficult or arduous parts of our task. In treating this fubject, we were pledged, and indeed neceffarily bound, to take a retrofpective view of the proceedings in parliament relative to the Company, from the time that the Secret and the Select Indian Committees were appointed by the Houfe of Commons in the year 1781, to the period which comes properly within the line of our narrative.

Whatever other effect our new experiment may produce, it will at least afford a proof of our difinterestednefs, and a teftimony of the high fenfe which we entertain of our obligations to the Public: Our publisher having liberally facrificed his own emolument in giving the double volume without any additional expence, and we having, no lefs chearfully, bestowed our labour and time for the fame purpofe.

THE

ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEARS, 1784 and 5.

Decree

Retrospective view of the general affairs of Europe for the year 1780. Emperor. Great schemes of reform and regulation. Some general obfervations on them Decree for extending the liberty of the prefs. in favour of the Jews. Ordinances ftriking at the authority of the court of Rome. Oftenfible caufes, and political motives, for the Emperor's journey to the Low Countries in the year 1781. Ill confequences of the war in which Holland was engaged, and of the new political fyftem adopted by that Republic. Refumption of the Dutch Barrier among the principal objects of the Emperor's journey. Obfervations on that measure. Barrier refigned, and the fortreffes difmantled. Alarm occafioned thereby in Holland. Great benefits derived by the Auftrian Netherlands, from becoming the medium of British Commerce, in confequence of the war between the maritime powers. Sudden rife of Oftend to commercial_importance through the fame caufe. Great favours conferred by the Emperor upon the city and people of Oftend. Declares the port free; orders a bafon to be conftructed; grants ground for building to foreign fettlers; and places of public worship to the Proteftant. Emperor examines the obftructions to the navigation of the Scheldt, and vifits Holland. Returns to Vienna. Various wife and humane regulations adopted in the courfe of the years 1781 and 1782. Enlargement of religious liberty to the Proteftants--of civil liberty to the peasants of Bohemia, Moravia, Silefia, and Austrian Poland, who are difcharged from their ancient flavery to the lords. Free exercife of their religion, with other advantages, granted by the Elector of VOL. XXVII.

[4]

Saxony

Saxony to the Roman Catholics in his dominions. Inquifition abolished by, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Univerfitics reformed by the Emperor. Allots fchools for the education of foldiers children. Mcafures for rendering the city of Trifte a great commercial Emporium. Emperor lends four millions of florins to the merchants of that city. Suppreffion of religious houses in the Auftrian dominions. Ecclefiaftics in the Auftrian Netherlands difcharged from all foreign jurifdiction. Imperial refeript, difclaiming all fubordination, in fecular affairs, to the Holy See. Supprin of religious horfes in the Duchy of Milan. Alarm at home. Correfpendence between the Pope and the Emperor. Journey of the Sovereign Pontiff, Pius the Sixth from Rome to Vienna. Received with great honours by the Emperor and Court; but fails in the objects of his journey. Returns to Rome. Reform of the religious orders continued; and extended to the Hierarchy, and fecular Clergy, as well as to the Regulars. Commiffion for adminiftering the Sequestered eftates; the produce diftined to public purposes. Obfervations and Strictures of foreigners on fome of thefe tranfactions.

WH

HILE the four great mari-figus fo fpeedily, as not only, if time powers of Europe were he fhould himself be cut off, to exhaufting their firength and facri- place them out of the reach of future ficing their fubjects in that war, to contingencies, but to obtain a prowhich the revolt of the British co. bability, if he lived, of participating Jonies in America gave rife, and in the benefits he intended for his which in its progrefs fpread fuch country. He was accordingly indefolation through both the Old ceffantly occupied in framing,adoptand the New world, the emperor ing, examining or carrying into of Germany was more happily em- execution, numberlefs projects of ployed, in cultivating the arts of regulation and improvement, of peace, in the improvement of his lefs or greater importance, but inwidely extended dominions, and in cluding fome of fuch magnitude, establishing upon fure and perma- as went to the effential reform of nent foundations the power, and the firft departments of the fiate and confequently the fecurity, of his government, whether ecclefiaftical, empire. civil, or military. This tafk, fufliciently arduous in itself, was rendered ftill more difficult by the nature of his dominions, compof d as they are of feparate kingdoms, and a number of diftin&t provinces, obtained by different means, and at different periods, fubject to their own peculiar forms of government, and ftill retaining many of their original rights and inftitutions.

In the laudable purfuit of thefe objects, he was not contented with adhering to the beaten tracks marked out by others, or of waiting the diftant effect of flow and progreffive fchemes of improvement. The fertile and active mind of this prince, embracing at once a multitude of objects, would carry every thing directly to that ultimate point of perfection which it held conftantly in view: as if ruminating on the fhortnefs of human life, he had determined to eftablish his de

It would have been contrary to all experience, and confequently to human nature itself, (of which experience is our only evidence) if fuch,.

and