its conftant features being weaknefs, debility, and delay. He referred to the Turkish government, and every arbitrary government that ever exifted, in proof of his

affertion.

In answer to these objections, Mr. Dundas contended, that before gentlemen took upon them to charge the empowering the governor general to act, in cases of emergency, without the concurrence of the council, as the introduction of arbitrary government,it behoved them to prove that arbitrary government depended more upon one perfon governing than two, a pofition which he believed it would not be easy to make out. He had ever confidered the governing by known laws, the prefervation of all the rights and franchises of fubjects, and trial in all cafes of property by the established judicature of the country, as the invariable and undoubted proofs of freedom. This was the real cafe of India; the perfon intrusted with the adminiftration of the country was indeed invefted with more power, but he had therefore the greater refponfibility: though in cafes of great emergency he was allowed to act with out the concurrence of his council, yet he had still his council to advife with, and they were always about him, as checks and controuls upon his conduct; in fact, the governor could do no more under the prefent clause than he could have done with the concurrence of his council before in proportion as he had more perfonal power, fo had the bill provided more refponfibility.

All the mischiefs and all the miffortunes which had for years taken place in India, he was fatisfied, in

his own mind, after long and attentive inquiry into the affairs of that country, arofe intirely from the party principles of the members of the different councils in exiftence there, and the factious fcenes which thofe councils had almost uniformly prefented.

In the house of lords the bill was oppofed on the fame grounds, with great ability, by Lord Carlile, Lord Stormont, and efpecially by Lord Loughborough. In both houfes it was fupported by large majorities, and finally paffed into a law.

On Tuesday the 11th of July, his majefty came down to the houfe of lords, and clofed the feffion with a fpeech from the throne. He expreffed the particular fatisfaction he had received from their attention to the public bufinefs, and from the meafures which had been adopted for improving the refources of the country.

He thanked the houfe of commons for the fupplies which they had granted for the current year, and for the provifion which they had made for difcharging the incumbrances on the civil lift: from the plan adopted for the reduction of the national debt, he looked for the moft falutary effects; it was an object which he confidered as infeparably connected with the interefts of the public. He faid, that the affurances he had from abroad promifed the continuance of general tranquillity: and he concluded by obferving, that the happy effects of peace had already appeared in the extenfion of the national commerce, and that no measures should be wanting on his part, which could tend to confirm thofe advantages, and to give additional encourage

ment

HE ftile of outward

and the yet unknown parts of that

munificent fpirit in the difpofal of bounties or rewards, which have fo eminently diftinguished the court of Petersburgh through the prefent reign, ftill continue to be its peculiar characteristics. Every thing that comes within thefe defcriptions is done in the highest stile of grandeur, and feems not only fuited to the prefent greatnefs, but to the rifing hope and fortune of that empire. Indeed the emprefs proceeds upon fo large a fcale in these matters, that it feems rather to be graduated by an Afiatic than an European model. It is not often feen, at least in the western world, that a great military power, whofe ambition and armaments fpread apprehenfion or terror all round, and which feems almoft conftantly looking for war, fhould at the fame time exceed all others in the fplendid establishments of peace and luxury.

The views of the court are, however, directed in its expences to other objects of greater importance and utility than thofe of mere magnificence. Of these may be confidered the great expedition undertaken in the year 1785, under the emprefs's direction, for the purpofe of difcovering, exploring, and examining the moft remote provinces,

and perils to which this expedition by land was fuppofed liable, through the tracklefs deferts which they were to explore, the inhofpitality of the climates, and the barbarity of the nations they were to encounter, with the numberless obstacles of various forts they were to furmount, rendered the profpect much more terrible than it had appeared to our circumnavigators in any of their late great voyages of difcovery. The boldest and most enterprizing perfons of all nations were accordingly fought out for this undertaking, and high rewards and promifes held out as an encouragement to their zeal and perfeverance. The Baron de Walchen Stedz, who has a regiment of cavalry in the emprefs's fervice, was appointed.commander in chief upon this expedition. His corps confifted of 810 chofen men, who were led on by 107 officers of different degrees of diftinction, and accompanied by pioneers, artillery-men, handycraftfmen, draughtsmen, engineers, and an hiftoriographer. naturalifts and aftronomers were included in fome of thefe defcriptions. It need fcarcely be observed, that they were amply provided with all manner of neceffaries, and that they were furnished with credentials.

We suppose

fuited to every circumftance and fituation. It was fuppofed that the expedition could not be completed under three years.

The only fruit of their discoveries which has yet reached our knowledge, was that of a small fugitive colony of ftrangers and Chriftians, who they found fhut up from the world, in a moft fequeftered part of the wilds of Caucafus; and who, in the language of the country, are called Tfcheches. Thefe poor people are faid to lead lives of the moft exemplary piety, and to exhibit a primæval fimplicity of manners.----They are totally ignorant of their origin, any farther than knowing that they are ftrangers, which they are likewife confidered by the feattered neighbouring nations. From an affinity in their language, and fome other circumstances, they are fuppofed to be defcended from a colony of Bohemians, who flying from the religious perfecutions in their own country, towards the clofe of the fifteenth century, found at length a refuge from oppreflion, in the diftance from the reft of mankind which these remote defarts afforded. Not fatisfied with the difcoveries which this expedition by land might produce, the emprefs formed another by fea about the fame time, in order to extend and afcertain thofe which, within the prefent century, have been unfuccefsfully attempted or imperfectly made by different Rullian navigators. Lieut. Col. Bleumer was appointed to conduct this expedition, and commiffioned to take along with him (befides able navigators) a number of perfons fkilled in various arts, to affift in making proper enquiries, and in turning to the greatest advantage fuch difcoveries as they might make,

or were already made. They were to embark at the mouth of the river Anadir, and to profecute with greater accuracy and ftricter obfervation thofe difcoveries which had been made by former navigators, of feveral inhabited iflands lying about the 64th degree of latitude, in fituations advantageous for trade. They were then to double the Cape of Tichurfky, the fuppofed ne plus ultra of the Ruffian navigators, (although they affirm the contrary) and entering the Straits which feparate Siberia from America, to purfue their voyage at least to the 74th degree of latitude; but if they find the feas practicable, to proceed as much farther as circumItances will permit.

It is a fingular circumftance, at leaft in the modern hiftory of the Old World, for a prince to be under the neceffity of undertaking great expeditions by fea and land, in order to difcover new countries within his own dominions. Such is the vaftness of that unbounded empire!

But the great work, which, if completed, is to prove a lafting monument to the glory of Catherine, is the navigable canal in the province of Twer, which, by opening a communication between the river Twertz and the Mista, the former of which falls directly into the Wolga, and the latter, by the great lakes, opens the paffage to the Neva, will not only establish an inland navigation through all the vast countries that lie between the fhores of the Cafpian and the Baltic, but will actually unite these diftant feas-an union unexampled in the hiftory of mankind. This great work was fo far advanced in the fummer of 1785, as to occafion

a vifit

a vifit from the empress in perfon, attended by a confiderable part of

the court.

Towards the clofe of the fame year, a treaty of commerce was concluded with the emperor, which afforded great advantages to his fuo ects, who, befides their being in general placed upon a footing with the moft favoured nations, were granted feveral peculiar privileges. Among there was the claufe which granted them an exemption from all duties in the port of Riga, and which placed them in all respects upon the footing of native inhabitants in that city. In general, however, the advantages were reciprocal; fuch as in lowering the duties upon Hungarian wines on one fide, and thofe upon leather, hides, and other commodities, which might in a good meafure be confidered as ftaple, upon the other. Upon the whole, the reaty feemed evidently calculated to establish the eafieft poffible intercourfe, with the most intimate and lafting connections, between the fubjects of both empires; fo that though the terms of the treaty limited its duration to twelve years, it appeared that the mutual friendfhip which it was to produce among the people was intended to be hereditary. Upon this principle, feveral cities and trading towns in both empires were placed upon the footing of open markets, where the foreign inhabitant, or even temporary refident, on either fide, was to enjoy a fort of denizenship, and to poffefs the fame fecurity and advantages in trade with the native. The contracting parties likewife particularly bound themselves to a strict adherence to the terms and principles of that regulation or compact

of which the emprefs had been inftitucrefs in the late war, and which has been fo well known under the denomination of the Armed Neutrality; and which, though now of fome ftanding, the ftill feems to regard with all the predilection which novelty gives to a favourite scheme.

A treaty of commerce with France was likewife at this time in negociation, and has fince been concluded. Similar negociations were at the fame time in train with feveral other nations. Yet, with this prevalent difpofition to the forming of new connections in trade, the old treaty of commerce with England (which had fo long been confidered as the moft favoured nation, and entitled to peculiar privileges in Ruffia) was now fuffered to expire, nor has it yet been renewed. The English had many grounds, without reckoning political caufes or motives, whereon to fupport their claims to peculiar favour and privileges in Ruffia. Among others, it is not to be forgotten, that the English were not only the first people who ever opened a commerce with Ruffia by fea, but that they were the first who discovered her at all poffeffing an acceffible fea coaft. To them, therefore, Archangel owed her rife from a poor fishing village to be the great emporium of northern trade; to that caufe were the adjoining defart provinces indebted for the degrees of culture, improvement, and civilization, which they received; and the whole empire, for thereby obtaining a ready vent for their own goods, and an easy fupply of the numberless European commodities which they wanted.

But the emprefs feems to be fast departing from that line of policy

5

which