Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

and fome account of that celebrated minifter. Convention with Sweden, by which the French are admitted to the rights of denizenship, of establish ing warehouses and factories, and of carrying on a free trade in Gottenburgh; in return for which, France cedes the West India island of St. Bartholomew to Sweden. Obfervations on that ceffion. Spirit of civil liberty, of enquiry, of reform and improvement, with a difpofition to the cultivation of useful arts, characteristics of the prefent times. Caufes.Great improvements in Spain with respect to arts, manufactures, and agriculture; meafures pursued for the diffemination of useful knowledge, for improving the morals, and enlightening the minds of the people. Inquifition difarmed of its dangerous powers; numerous patriotic focieties formed, and public fchools inftituted, under the patronage of the first nobility; camals and roads forming; fubfcriptions for conveying water to large diftri&ts defolate through its want. King fuccessfully refumes the project of peopling and cultivating the Sierra Morena; abolishes bull feafts; reftricts the number of horses and mules to be used in the carriages of the nobility; procures an accurate furvey and charts of the ccafts of the kingdom, as well as of the Straits of Magellan. Attention to naval force and to commerce. New Eaft India company formed. Improvements in the admini• ftration of colonial government. Intermarriages with the royal line of Portugal lay the foundation for an alliance between the latter and France. Patriarchal age, eminent qualities, and death of the celebrated Cardinal de Solis, Archbishop of Seville. Important reforms in the police of Portugal. Queen forms the excellent refolution of never granting a pardon in any cafe of affaffination or deliberate murder; which has already produced the happieft effects. Excellent regulation of taking up the idle and diffolute throughout the kingdom, and of applying them, at the expence, or under the care of government, to proper labour. Improvements in agriculture attempted; climate and foil unfavourable to corn. Political obfervations on the intermarriages with Spain, and on the new alliances with the boufe of Bourbon.-Italy. Noble act of Pious the VIth, in his generous endeavours to drain the Pontine marshes.-Naples. Difpofition of the king to naval affairs, and to the forming of a marine force. Grand Duke of Tuscany. Regulation in Florence for the difpofal of the dead in a common cemetery, caufes great difcontent. [25

CHA P. III.

Retrospective view continued.-Venice. War with Tunis.-Germany. Dif appointment in the Emperor's commercial views. Failure of the Afiatic company. Ancient crown and regalia of Hungary removed from Prefburgh to Vienna. Archduke Maximilian fucceeds to the electorate of Cologn, Admirable improvements in the ecclefiaftical electorates. Paftoral letter from the elector of Triers. Death of the Landgrave of Heffe Caffel. Turkey. New prophet. Some account of the Sheich Manfour. Porte obliged to procure a peace for the Emperor's fubjects with the Barbary ftates. Perfian phyfician conftructs a balloon at Conftantinople, and afcends fuccefsfully into the air, with two others, in the prefence of the court

and

and city. Nobly rewarded by the Grand Signior. Proffered fervices of a
celebrated aeronaut, about the fame time, rejected by the Emperor and the
king of Pruffia. All attempts of the fort forbidden in the Ruffian empire.
-Demark. Prince Royal difplaying uncommon early abilities, is declared

major. Unexpected revolution in the miniftry, and wijdom with which it

was conducted. New council or adminiftration formed under the auspices

of the prince. Queen Dowager prefented with the royal caftle of Frede-

rickfburgh, in Holstein, to which she retires. Prince jupports with luftre

the early hopes formed of his talents and virtues.
Becomes the encourager

of literature, and patron of learned men. Liberal and fuccessful attempt

to recover the antiquities, and to procure materials for establishing the bif-

tory of the northern nations. Succeffion of irregular feajons, with violent

fhocks of the earth, extraordinary commotions in the heavens, and other na-

tural evils, produce great calamities to mankind in various parts of the

world. Peftilence defolates the coafts of the Levant with unexampled ma-

lignity. Failure of harvests in Europe. Many parts of Italy, Hungary,

Germany, and France, defolated through the inundations of their great ri-

Prince Leopold of Brunswick unfortunately perijbes in the Oder.

Famine and diftreffes of every kind prevail in the northern kingdoms. Ruffia

refufes the ftipulated fupply of grain to Sweden from Livonia, which in-

creafes the calamity of that country. Complicated diftreffes of Norway.

Unexampled deftruction, and calamity of Iceland.

Neither the danger of foreign war, nor the refignation of the duke of Bruns-

wick, ferve in any degree to allay the ferment in Holland, or to restore

tranquillity to the Stadtholder's government. Great point gained by the

adverfe party, in procuring a French General to command the armies of the

Republic. Some account of the Marshal de Maillebois. Short view of

the origin and hiftory of that celebrated republican party, which has fub-

fifted in Holland from the days of Prince Maurice to the prefent time.

Motives on both fides for the clofe connection which generally fubfifted be-

tween that party and France. Late war with England, and its confe-

quences, afforded the means for that party to become again formidable.

General charges against the Stadtholder with respect to the conduct of that

war, and the answers made to them. Repeatedly challenges them to the

proof. Their views anfwered by supporting and spreading the clamour and

jealoufy. Specific enquiry into the conduct of the navy, after a long and

tedious courfe of proceeding, produces nothing equal to the public expectation.

Various caufes which concurred at this time to raise the republican Spirit

to the highest pitch in that country. Injudicious measure of placing arms

in the hands of the burghers, produces effects little expected or wished by

the leaders of the party, and caufes great innovations in the government of

many towns. Peculiar advantages poffeffed by the adverje party over

thofe on the Orange fide. Great legal, official, and natural powers, and

resources, poffeffed by the Prince Stadtholder. Violent measure of depofing

the Prince from the government of the Hague. Prince and family aban-

"

don the Hague. Ineffectual interpofition of the late King of Pruffia. Judicious measure of the Prince Stadtholder in retiring to Guelderland. Ajfemblage of the States of Holland and Weft Friezeland at the Hague. Riot on opening the Stadtholder's gate. Violent diffenfions and great preparations for defence or war, in the city of Utrecht. Large fubfcriptions for supporting the armed burghers and volunteers. Republic convuljed in all its parts. Great debates in the affembly of the States of Holland and Weft Friezeland, on the question for restoring the Stadtholder to the government of the Hague. Question loft by a fingle vote. Spirited letter, immediately upon his acceffion, from the prefent King of Pruffia in behalf of the Stadtholder, conveyed by his minister of state, the Baron de Goerts. Little effect produced by the King's reprefentations. Memorial from the Court of Verfailies, not only disclaiming all interference herself in the government of the republic, but declaring her intention to prevent their being disturbed by that of others. Refractory burghers of Elbourg and Hattem reduced by the Stadtholder, under the orders of the States of Guelderland. Violent ferment on the taking of thefe towns. States of Holland fufpend the Stadtholder from all the functions appertaining to his office of Captain General within their province; and difcharge the troops from their military oath to obey his orders,

CHA P. V.

[63

Opening of the third feffion of parliament. Amendment moved upon the addrefs in both houfes, and negatived without a divifion. Mr. Fox's obfervations on the king's Speech-on the state of foreign alliances-treaty between France and the United Provinces-Germanic league-treaty with Ruffia-commercial treaty with France-prepofterous mode of conducting the public bufinefs-Irish propofitions-affairs of India. Mr. Pitt's reply; his obfervations on Mr. Fox's dexterity in debate; his account of the Ruffian treaty and German confederacy; his opinion respecting the connection between Hanover and Great Britain; defence of his India bill; flourishing State of the revenues. Remarks by Mr. Fox on the minister's opinion concerning the political connection between Great Britain and Hanover. Major Scott calls on Mr. Burke to bring forward his charges against Mr. Haftings. Mr. Burke relates in reply an anecdote of the duke of Parma. Grand debate on the duke of Richmond's proposed fortification of the dockyards. Inftructions to the board of land and jea-officers, and extracts from their report. Mr. Pitt's motion and arguments in fupport of the plan propofed, as neceffary, as beft adapted to their purpose, as tending to increase the effects of our naval force, and to reduce the army. Amendment to Mr. Pitt's motion by Mr. Baftard and Sir William Lemon. Mr. Sheridan's Speech in favour of the amendment; first he fhews that the plan propofed was dangerous to the conftitution; he denies it would reduce the ftanding army, and if it did, he proves that in the fame proportion it would increafe its power; 2dly, he denies that it is fan&tioned by the report of the board of officers, the extracts from the report prove the members were not agreed; the report itself founded on hypothetical fuggeftions from the master general. Mr. Pitt's motion rejected by the cafting vote of the Speaker.

Debate

CHA P. VI.

CHA P. VIII.

Ruffia-Magnificence of the Court of Peterburgh.-Expeditions of discovery

by land and fea, to the yet-unexplored parts of the empire.-Small colony of

Chriftians difcovered in the wilds of Caucafus. New canal for opening

an inland navigation between the Cafpian Sea and the Baltic.-Com-

mercial treaty with the Emperor.—Similar treaties in negociation with

France and other nations.Old commercial treaty with England fuffered to

expire without renewal.-Some obfervations on that circumstance, and on

the change which feems to have taken place in the Emprefs's political

fyftem.-War with the Tartars.-Inequality of the contending parties.

Brave and obftinate refiftance notwithstanding made.-Prince of Heffe

Rhinfels killed.-Tartar chief, with his fons and nephew taken prisoners.

-Cuban Tartary defolated. The new prophet, Sheich Manfour, defeated.

-Empress announces her intention of making a progress to Cherfon and the

Crimea. Extraordinary preparations for rendering the proceffion fuperbly

magnificent. The intelligence of this intended progress and defign, instead

af terrifying the Tartars, occafions a ftricter union and general confederacy

among them; fhew unufual judgment in feizing the gorges and defiles of

the mountains, and interrupting the Ruffian communications.-Victory

gained by the Tartars in the autumn of 1786, on the fide of Caucafus.-

Some of the apparent confequences of that event; and particularly its effect

with respect to the intended progrefs.-Georgians forely prefed by the

Leighis Tartars.-Court of Peterburgh vents its indignation on the Porte,

as the cause of all thefe untoward events. Some jealoufies entertained by the

Chinefe.-Death of Kienlong, the excellent Emperor of China.-Singular

bank eftablished by the Empress at Petersburgh.-Ruffian troops fent into

Courland, in order to fupport the freedom of election in cafe of the Duke's

death-Turkey-Appeal from the Grand Signior to his fubjects, and to

all true Muffulmen, on the differences with Ruffia, the treatment he has re-

ceived, and calling upon them to be in preparation for the expected confe-

quences. Preparations for placing the empire in a formidable state of

defence. Troubles in Egypt.-Captain Pacha's expedition to that country;

-defeats Murat Bey in two battles, and takes Grand Cairo.-Porte does

not relax in its endeavours, notwithstanding the critical state of public

affairs, to introduce the arts and Sciences in that empire; orders a trans-

lation of the French Encyclopedia.-Emperor's conduct with respect to

Ruffia and the Porte-Engaged ftill in a multiplicity of internal regula-

tions.-Abrogation of the old laws, and establishment of a new code.-

Ecclefiaftical reforms.-Suppreffion of religious boufes.-Number of the

conventual clergy already reduced.-German prelacy join the Emperor in

refifting the interference of the court of Rome in their ecclefiaftical and

metropolitan government.—Elector of Mentz and Archbishop of Saltzbourg

apply to the Emperor, to prevent a nuncio's arrival at the court of

« PreviousContinue »