the commons of that kingdom, on the 26th, immediately after his arrival to take upon him the government. The address to the king in consequence of it, was moved by Mr. Grattan, the great and eloquent leader of the popular party. This address, after a full and explicit assertion of the independent rights of the kingdom of Ireland, proceeded to state the causes of those jealousies and discontents which had arisen in that country, viz. the act of the sixth of George I. the power of suppressing or altering bills in the pri vy council; and the perpetual mutiny bill. On the ground of this address, Mr. Fox moved in the British house of commons on the 17th of May, "1. That leave be given to bring in a bill for the repeal of the act, 6 George I. cap. v.-2. That it be resolyed, that it is necessary to the mutual happiness of the two countries, that a firm and solid connection should be forthwith established by the consent of both.-3. That an address be presented to his majesty, that he may be graciously pleased to give directions for promoting the latter resolution." These motions passed without any opposition. In return for this liberal procedure of the British government, in relinquishing established claims without any stipulation whatever, the parliament of Ireland voted 100,000l. for the raising of 20,000 Irish seamen to serve in his majesty's navy. The sum of 50,000l. was also voted, "for purchasing an estate, and erecting a mansion thereon, to be settled on Henry Grattan, esq. and the heirs of his body, as a testimony of their gratitude, for the unequalled benefits conferred by him on that kingdom." On the 11th of June, Mr. Fox brought in a bill for the repeal of the aforementioned act, which passed without a word of opposition. By that act," the king's majesty, by and with the advice of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons of Great-Britain in parliament assembled, hath had, and of right -ought to have, full power and authority to make laws and statutes of sufficient force and validity to bind the kingdom and people of Ireland; and that the house of lords of Ireland have not, nor of right ought to have, any jurisdiction to judge, affirm, or reverse any judgment, sentence, or decree, given or made in any count within the said kingdom; and that all proceedings before the said house of lords upon any such sentence or decree are, and are hereby declared to be utterly null and-void to all intents and purposes whatsoever." The bill received the royal assent by commission on the first of July. It must be noted, that before the bill was brought in, the Duke of Portland went in state to the Irish house of peers on the 30th of May, to announce the concurrence of the king and parliament of Great-Britain to the independent rights claimed by Ireland. On the 18th of June, the delegates of the volunteer

volunteer corps of the four provinces, at their general mecting, held in Dublin, resolved unanimously-" That the addresses of the Irish parliament having disclaimed any power or authority, of any sort whatsoever, in the parliament of Great-Britain, over this realm, we shall consider a repeal of the 6th of George I. by the British parliament, made in pursuance of the said addresses, a complete renunciation of all the claims contained in the said statute; and as such we will accept it, and deem it satisfactory." On the 18th of July, it was moved in the house of lords

That this house, having the fullest confidence in the answer to their address to his majesty, of the 27th of April last, cannot entertain a doubt but that the independence of the legislature of this kingdom, both as to internal and external objects, will be inviolably maintained." This motion was meant as an explicit declaration of the total independence of the Irish legislature on that of Great-Britain, in all cases whatsoever, and passed with-out a negative. Thus have the patriots of Ireland, by their judi cious, steady and temperate conduct, made the war with the United States of America, subservient to the establishing of their own independency, without bloodshed and devastation. Had rights somewhat similar to those which were conceded to them, been early granted to the Americans, the union of the latter with the mother country had been continued, and the enormous expences of war, and all its concomitant miseries, been avoided. When the duke of Portland put an end to the session, on the 27th of July, he observed to both houses with satisfaction, that they had provided for the impartial and unbiassed administration of justice, by the act for securing the independence of the judges; that they had adopted one of the most effectual securities of Bri tish freedom, by limiting the mutiny act in point of duration; that they had secured that most invaluable of all human blessings, the personal liberty of the subject, by passing the habeas corpus act; and that they had cherished and enlarged the wise principles of toleration, and made considerable advances in abofishing those distinctions which had too long impeded the progress of industry, and divided the nation.

While measures were pursuing for establishing harmony between Great-Britain and Ireland, administration applied themselves to the perfecting of those plans of economy and reform, for the execution of which they were pledged to the public. The bills for disqualifying revenue officers from voting in the election of members of parliament, and for rendering contractors incapable of sitting in the house of commons, passed the lower house after a feeble opposition; and though strenuously, com bated in the upper, were carried by very large majorities, and, received the royal assent.

Mr.

Mr. Burke, while the bills were pending, brought forward afresh the great plan of reform in the civil list expenditure, which he had submitted to parliament two years before. This object, in which were combined the principles of future ceconomy and the abolition of great influence in both houses of parliament, was introduced by a message from the king. In the beginning of May Mr. Burke was called to the chair of the committee, and was directed to move the house for leave to bring in a bill to enable his majesty to pay off the debt on the civil list, to prevent the like in future, and to carry into a law the retrenchments which his majesty had graciously proposed to make in his household. A number of offices, usually held by members of parliament, were abolished; and the annual saving arising from the reform, which would be yearly increasing, amounted to £.72,368 He apologized for the bill's not being more extensive; and engaged to obey their call, whenever it appeared to be the general sense of the house and of the people, that he should undertake and go through. with a more complete system of reform.

The Gentlemen's Magazine for May 6th, gives you, in the historical chronicle, under Monday 6, the particulars of the reform; and immediately under it the following extraordinary article of reform in the house of commons-This day the entry on the journals of the house of commons of the 17th of February, 1769, importing "that John Wilkes, esq. was judged incapable of sitting in that house," was, on motion, ordered to be expunged, 115 to 47. Thus has Mr. Wilkes triumphed at last in the case of the Middlesex election, after a long succession of annual defeats. Mr. Burke's reforming bill was followed by another for the regulation of his own office. The principal object of it was to prevent the possibility of any balance accumulating in the hands of the paymaster-general, which, he said, had sometimes amounted to the enormous sum of a million of pounds, the interest of which would be annually saved to the public. He also stated, that as treasurer of Chelsea hospital, he enjoyed the profits arising from the clothing of the pensioners. The profits of the contract had usually amounted £.700 per annum, but by a bargain he had made, with a contractor who was not a member of parliament, it would amount to £.600 more. This sum of £.1300 year, he meant to resign his claim to, and to appropriate it to some public service.

The subject of a reform in the constitution of parliament, was not wholly abandoned; but was brought again before the house by Mr. William Pitt, who moved-That a committee, be appointed to enquire into the state of representation in parliament,

and

and to report to the house their seatinrents thereon.” A long debate ensued, and was ably supported by gentlemen on each side the question; but on a division the motion was rejected by a majority of 161 to 141.

While the parliament was thus employed, the ministry were not inattentive to the great object of the nations desire, the restoration of peace; which was so far in train, that on the 1st of Jaly a communication was opened between Dover and Calais, and four British and four French vessels were appointed to sail alternately from each port. But the day was rendered much more memorable by the death of the marquis of Rockingham, whose health had been gradually declining and at length sunk under the increasing weight of public cares and business. This event occa- sioned various changes in the administration. The earl of Shel:burne was appointed the marquis's successor in the treasury. Lord John Cavendish and Mr. Fox soon after resigned their offices, and were followed by the duke of Portland and others. Mr. William Pitt was made chancellor of the exchequer. Mr. T. Townshend and lord Grantham secretaries of state. Lord, Shelburne having occasion to speak on the subject of the independence of America on the 10th, said, "that his opinions were still the same; but circumstanes had changed, and he now saw it was become a necessary evil, to which his country must submit to avoid a greater." On the 11th, his majesty went to the house of peers, and by his royal speech put an end to the session.

#

The successes of the British in the East and West-Indies and in Europe, which were known long before the rising of parliament, were favorable circumstances, and tended to give stability to administration, by the public satisfaction they produced. We shall now enter upon their narrative.

The Dutch garrison of Negapatam was reinforced by a large detachment of Hyder Ally's troops, before the English company's appeared upon the coast of Coromandel. Major-gen. Monrolanded on the 21st of October, and then took the command of them. He was followed by the whole corps of marines from adm. Hughes's fleet. By the 10th of November, the breaching battery being ready, and opening at day-light, the garrison soon - demanded a parley and capitulated. They consisted of 8000, men; 500 were European regulars and militia. On the 2d of January the admiral sailed from Negapatan roads, and on the 4th aprived at Trincomale-bay. The next day all the troops were disembarked and landed before dark. The seainen and marines inmediately formed, and pushing through the gateway ntade themselves masters of the fort, while the governor was drawing up a capituVOL. MI.. lation.

00

lation. The only remaining force was a fort on the top of a high hill, which commanded the harbour and had an open communi cation with the ships. The commander refusing to surrender, a storming party of seamen and marines assaulted and carried it on the morning of the 11th with little loss. Upon the sur render of Negapatam, Hyder Ally's troops evacuated all the forts and strong posts they held in the Tanjore country. This intelligence however was somewhat damped by the news receiv ed from Bombay at the East-India house on the 28th of August, being an account of an action on the 17th of February, between Sir Edward Hughes and Mons. de Suffrein, in which several of the British ships suffered considerably.

When the season for naval action in the European part of the world approached, great threats were held out of the mighty ef fects to be produced by a combination of the whole marine force of France, Spain and Holland. It was therefore an object of the first importance to Great-Britain to prevent such combina tion, by keeping that watch upon the Dutch fleet which would disable them from penetrating the channel in their way to Brest, the appointed place of rendezvous. A plan of operation, prin cipally defensive, was concerted by the new admiralty, which had been just formed..

While the rest of the fleet was preparing, adm. Barrington sailed from Portsmouth [April 13.] for the bay, with 12 sail of the line. On the 20th a fleet was discovered, and the signal for general chase instantly thrown out.. The Foudroyant, capt. Jarvis, being a prime sailer, so far outstripped the rest, that when night came on, with bazy and blowing weather, he soon lost them entirely; but he kept a full view of the enemy, and pursued them with unremitting vigor. The chased fleet consisted of 18 sail, ladea with stores and conveying a considerable number of troops, for the supply and reinforcement of the French fleet and forces in the East-Indies. They had sailed from Brest only the day before, and were under the protection of the Protecteur and Pegase of 74 guns each, L'Actionaire of 64, but armed en flute, and a frigate. The convoy was dispersed by signal, and the two French 74 gun ships having consulted, it was agreed, that as the Protecteur had a. large quantity of money on board, she should make the best of her way; and that if fighting was inevitable, the Pegase should a bide the consequences. A little before one in, the morning capt Jarvis came up with and closely engaged her. The action was fierce while it lasted, but within less than an hour the Pegase was compelled to surrender. Soon after day-light, the Queen man of. war came in sight and took upon her the care of the disabled:

captured