liable to be conftrued as contrary to the conftitutions of the empire, might chance to be refented, not only by the head of that body, but perhaps by one of its members. And if the opinions, or likings, of men who were contrained to act merely as machines, were matters at all to be confidered, the idea of fuch a voyage, to an inland people who scarcely knew the fea by report, mult have been dreadful and odious in the highest degree. In thefe difficulties, a negociation is faid to have been entered into with the court of Petersburg for 20,000 Ruffians. It is believed that this treaty was at one time in confiderable forwardnefs. But the extreme diflance of the fervice, the difficulty of recal, the little probability that many of them would ever return, and, above all, the critical ftate of public affairs throughout Europe, and particularly in the North, after the most fanguine hopes, prevented its fuccefs. A long negociation was alfo carried on at the Hague, for the Scotch brigade, which has been for many years in the Dutch fervice, and always allowed to be recruited from Scotland. No doubt was entertained for a time of fuccefs in this treaty, and it caufed great debates in the Affembly of the States-General, where the fimilarity between the prefent ftruggles of the Americans, and their own original efforts against oppreffion, were defcribed by fome of the fates in warm colours, and the impropriety of a republic, which had herfelf purchafed freedom at fo dear a price, and by fo long and arduous a flruggle, interfering in any manner, in depriving others of their liberties, was placed in the ftrongeft point of view, until at length the propofal was rejected. In Holland, the English party is always exceedingly powerful. But on this occafion, those who were the most warmly affected to the intereft of this nation, were faid to have been against the measure of fending the troops. They declared loudly against a war which tended to drive America to the protection of France, as ruinous to the welfare both of England and of Holland; and thought it better by withholding the means of it, to compel the British miniftry to pacific courfes. The city of Rotterdam, and fome other towns, were an exception to this general fentiment. In the former, the merchants of North-Britain have had a long eftablishment and great power, and the opinions prevalent in that part of the united kingdom, muft have great weight in that commercial city, It is not a pleafing circumflance, though perhaps of no confequence, that in all the countries of Europe, in which public affairs are a fubject either of writing or converfation, the general voice has been rather in favour of the Americans. Even Voltaire and Roufseau, who never agreed in any thing elfe, are faid to hold the fame opinion upon that fubject. Difappointed in Ruffia and in Holland, we were thrown back upon Germany, as our only refource for foreign troops. A fuccefsful negociation was accordingly opened with the Princes of Heffe and Brunswick, and some smaller ftates, by which we at length contracted for large bodies of men, the particulars of which we shall fee in their due place. In the mean mean time, the King thought it neceffary to fend five battalions of his electoral troops, to replace the like number of English, in the important garrifons of Gibraltar and Minorca, thereby to increase the force in America with the addition of the latter. Towards the latter part of the feafon, government went to a valt expence, in fending out provifions and neceffaries of all forts, for the fupply and relief of the army in Boston. As the want of fresh provifions of every fort was one of their principal grievances, and had caufed much fickness amongst them, the remedy of that evil was an object of principal confideration. For this purpose, much cattle of all kinds were contracted for and fhipped for America. It is faid, that no lefs then 5000 oxen, 14000 of the largeft and fatteft heep, with a vast number of hogs, were purchased and fent out alive. Vegetables of all kinds were alto bought up in incredible quantities, and new arts were employed in curing them. Ten thoufand butts of ftrong beer were fupplied by two brewers. Five thousand chaldron of coals were purchased in the river, and hipped off for Boftón; even the article of faggots was fent from London. The feemingly trifling neceffaries of vegetables, cafks, and vinegar, amount, in two diftinct articles, where they are detached from the general comprehenfion of other provifions, to near 22000l. And though we had but a fingle regiment of light cavalry at Bolton, the articles of hay, oats, and beans, amounted to nearly as much. The immenfe charge of fupplying an army at fuch a dif tance, was now for the first time experimentally felt. Befides the expence of thefe articles we have mentioned, and the charge of flour, corn, and falted provifions, near half a million of money was expended in the purchafe of coined Spanish and Portugal fpecie, and tranfmitted, for the extraordinary and contingent articles in various branches of military operations, which were confined nearly to a fingle town. The expence fwelled in every thing. From the multitude of tranfports employed in the different parts of the fervice, the price of tonnage was raifed one-fourth above its ufual rate. As the contracts were very lucrative, the connections of those who had intereft to obtain them extenfive, and the number of perfons who found employment or benefit by the different fervices infinite, it is not to be wondered at, that fuch a concurrence of circumftances, formed a numerous and zealous party in fupport of government; and that they fhould earneftly with for the continuance of a war, by which they profited fo much. It did not feem an ill-founded expectation, that these liberal fupplies, befides reftoring health and fpirits to our forces, would have filenced the general clamour that had been raifed, and removed the too just complaints that had been made by the army, of the bad and unwhole fome quality of the provifions with which they had been lately furnifhed. Things, however, turned out very untowardly in this refpect. Whether it was that the orders were not iffued in time, or that delays occurred in the execution, which could neither have been foreseen or prevented; [D] 2 however however it was, the tranfports were not ready to proceed on their voyage, until the year was fo far advanced as to render it nearly impracticable. By this means they were detained upon our own coafts by contrary winds, or toffed about by tempefts, until the greater part of their live cargoes of hogs and fheep, particularly the latter, petifhed, fo that the channel was every where ftrewed with the floating carcafes of thefe animals, as they were driven about by the winds and tides. A great part of the vegetables over fermented and perished. Nor was the condition of the tranfports mended when they got clear of our own coafts. They were peculiarly unfortunate as to winds and weather in the mid feas, and as they approached to the place of their deftination, the American periodical winds were fet in, which blew full in their teeth, and drove them off from the soafts. Thus feveral of them were Blown off to the Weft-Indian iflands, where they arrived in great diftrefs; others that got entangled with the American coafts, were either taken, or feized in thofe harbours and creeks where they put in for fhelter. The few that arrived at Bofton, had beat the feas from three to four months, and being nearly wrecks, their cargoes fuffered accordingly. A very inconfiderable portion of the refreshment procured at fo vaft an expence, and that too in a mifera ble condition, arrived at the place of its deftination., As the compaffion and humanity of this country are always awake to the wretched, and particularly to thofe who are fufferers in the caufe of the public, a fubfcription was opened towards the latter end of the year, for the relief of the foldiers at Bofton, and of the widows and children of thofe that were flain. This fcheme was most liberally fupported, and feveral thoufand pounds were subscribed in a little time. A great number, however, withheld their benevolence from this purpofe upon principle, who could not have been fufpected of doing it upon any other account. Thofe who confidered the measures now purfuing, as unjust and oppreffive to America, and ruinous to their country, thought they fhould participate in the guilt of thofe crimes, and render themselves anfwerable for the mifchiefs which they foreboded, if they gave encouragement, much lefs granted rewards, to those who were the immediate actors in carrying them into execution. Many alfo thought, that fuch contributions were degrading to the fervice; but that it was ftill more derogatory to the honour of a great nation, to admit that any of its fervants, much lefs thofe who were fighting its battles, fhould be confidered as objects of public charity. Others thought it abfurd to add to the vast mais of expences already incurred by the public, and which, if they had been well applied, were, as they faid, more than fufficient to have provided the greatest comfort and abundance to the foldiery. Some fhips which arrived from Bofton, and exhibited the fpectacle of maimed and wounded foldiers, with the wives and children of thofe that were flain, all of whom were in the most extreme degree of mifery and wretchedness, did not fad fail to quicken the humanity of fuch as were not actuated by the motives we have mentioned. This fubfcription was, however, confidered as a kind of political touchftone, and the degree of attachment to government, was fuppofed to be measured by the extent of the bounty. By thefe and other means, the fpirit in favour of the American war was kept up. To difcountesance the ftrong oppofition, which it was thought would be made, towards the opening of the feffion, the minds of men were filled with rumours of confpiracies and treafonable correfpondence with the rebels in America. The most diftinguished noblemen and gentlemen of the minority were directly pointed at. They were charged with having been the incendiaries, who by their dark and wicked practices had kindled up the war. This language founded in many of the addreffes. But the news-papers were induftriously filled with it. There it was daily and confidently afferted, that a very great number of letters from the moft confiderable Peers and members of parliament had been intercepted, and were actually in the hands of government. Thefe they afferted would be laid before the Grand Council of the nation, when the Tower would be speedily filled with perfons of rank, and a full harvest of impeachments and punishments fucceed. This was carried fo far, that it was faid a number of the members of both houfes, who were defcribed and understood, would not venture to attend their duty in parliament at the meeting. Such reports, if not perfectly well-founded, are cautiously to be encouraged or permitted, as cer tain inevitable confequences muft neceffarily follow, which may be productive of much mifchief and danger. For when the minds of any people have been long brooding over fuch fubjects, trea fons, plots, and confpiracies, will haunt the fleeping and waking dreams of the weak, and exercife the profligate and wicked inge. nuity of thofe, who make ufe of the public fear and credulity in framing accufations. They may ferve even to fuggeft fchemes, which otherwife might not be thought of, to men of an enthufiaftic turn and daring character. At the opening of the feffion, the report of a confpiracy of a moft extraordinary nature, at firft alarmed the public fears, though it af terwards became a fubject of lefs ferious difcuffion. It was announced in the Gazette, that, a Mr. Sayre, an American born, and then a banker in London, was com mitted by the Secretary of State to the Tower, for high treafon. At firft, people connected this account with the former reports; and it was univerfally fuppofed, that the treafon of Mr. Sayre, confifted in remitting money, and conveying intelligence from parties here to the infurgents in America. When the real ftory came to be known, it could be fcarcely believed, that the offence with which he flood charged, was nothing of this fort. The crime for which he was committed, was a defign of feizing the perfon of his Majesty, at noonday, in his paffage to the Houfe of Peers; of conveying him a prifoner to the Tower, afterwards out of the kingdom, and over[D] 3 turning turning the whole form of government. The means, indeed, feemed very inadequate to the greatness of the end. An inconfiderable fum of money was to be difpofed of in brib ng a few Serjeants of the guards, who, were alfo to lay out a part of it in bribing their men, and this handful, in the faces of the great majority of their fellows who were not bribed, were to effect the double and arduous work of feizing the King's perfon and the tower at the fame time. Nothing feemed prepared for a purpole of this kind; nothing to overcome the military power which would affemble from all parts of the kingdom; to fay nothing of the other obvious impediments. It was faid in juftification of the commitment on fuch extraordinary matter, that though there was but one witnefs to this charge, his teftimony was pofitive. That the folly of a wicked attempt, did not prove that no fuch attempt could be made. That as the information was officially laid before the Earl of Rochford, (who was then Secretary of State for the fouthern department) whatever degree of credit it obtained in his private opinion, he was obliged officially, as the King's perfon was at all mentioned, and any danger to it implied, to prevent the poffibility of fuch an attempt. It must be admitted, that this juftification, fuppofing the process unexceptionable, feems perfectly good in law; but whether it is equally fo in point of policy and difcretion, may be doubted. It might have been as advisable, to have examined into the nature of the tranfaction, and how far it might be fupported by further evidence, before fo public and decided a step was taken. In whatever manner the difcretion of this proceeding may be thought of, it is certain, that Mr. Sayre was taken. in Ca. 23d. his houfe, and his papers feized, when being examined before the Secretary of State, and confronted with his accufer, bail was refufed for his appearance, and he was committed to clofe confinement in the Tower. The report of this tranfaction flew like wild-fire throughout the kingdom, and for a while confirmed all the rumours that had been already fpread of treasonable acts and defigns; whilft anxiety for the fafety of the King's perfon, and the indignation and horror excited by fo atrocious a defign, abforbed all other confiderations with refpect to public affairs. In the mean time, the order with refpect to Mr. Sayre's confinement, was fo ftrictly complied with, that it was with difficulty, and by particular application, his wife was permitted to fee him, while all his other friends were refused that liberty. His confinement, however, lafted only for five days, at the end of which time, an Habeas Corpus being granted for his appearance before the Lord Chief Juftice of the King's Bench, the matter appeared in fuch a light to that noble Lord, that he not only readily admitted him to bail, but received his own fecurity in the trifling fum of 500l. and that of two fureties in as much, for his appearance to anfwer for the charge. No profecution was attempted, and the bail being |