A. D. 1800. YEAR OF GEORGE III. 40 & 41. PARLIAMENT 4 & 5. Overture for a pacific Negotiation by Buonaparte, and Reply by Lord Grenville. Communication of the same to Parliament. Motion for Enquiry into the Dutch Expedition. Finances. Completion of the Irish Union. Suspension of the Habeas Corpus continued. - Measures for relieving the Scarcity of Bread. Final Pacifi cation of the Royalists in France. Genoa evacuated by the French after a long Siege. - Buonaparte crosses the Alps into Italy, and gains Milan and Pavia.-- His Victory at Marengo, and Armistice granted to the Austrians in Italy. -Genoa recovered, and Cisalpine Republic declared. Moreau's Campaign against the Austrians in Germany. Armistice granted and prolonged. Hostilities renewed: Battle of Hohenlinden, and separate Peace made by the Emperor.- Affairs in Egypt.- Treaty of El Arish signed, but not confirmed. Insurrection against the French at Cairo. Assassination of General Kleber. Goree surrendered to the British. Unsuccessful Attempt on Ferrol. - Reduction of Malta by the British Troops. Curacao taken. - Failure at Cadiz. Ionian Republic founded.-Danish Frigate and Convoy stopped. - A Squadron sent to Copenhagen, and Consequences. The Emperor Paul declares against Great Britain. - Armed Neutrality. - Renewed Negotiations between England and France, finally fruitless.Parliament re-assembled on Account of the Scarcity of Grain.— Measures adopted. Bill for ascertaining the Population. - Other Parliamentary Proceedings. - Election of Pope Pius VII. - BUONAPARTE had but just been seated in the chair of first consul, when he addressed a letter to the King of Great Britain for the purpose of engaging him to enter upon a negotiation for a general peace. It was written with manly simplicity, and all the air of perfect sincerity; the step which he took being, as he said, "entirely confidential, and disengaged from those forms which, necessary perhaps to disguise the dependence of weak states, prove, in those which are strong, only the mutual desire of deceiving each other." This letter did not meet with a corresponding return. It was given to be answered to Lord Grenville, the foreign secretary of state, whose reply was in the form of an official note addressed to M. Talleyrand, the French minister for foreign affairs. Going back to the origin of the war with France, and reciting in indignant terms the wrongs inflicted upon Europe by that nation since the revolution, it affirmed that the best pledge for the prevalence of better principles in France would be the restoration of its ancient line of princes. His Majesty, however, (it was said) made no claim to prescribe to France the form of her government, and whenever there should appear a sufficient security to his own dominions and the rest of Europe, he would eagerly embrace the opportunity of concerting with his allies the means of a general pacification; but no such security at present existing, his Majesty would pursue, in conjunction with other powers, the exertions of a just and defensive war. An official note was returned by M. Talleyrand in refutation of the charges brought in that of Lord Grenville; but concluding with the proposal of a suspension of hostilities, and the appointment of plenipotentiaries on each side to meet at Dunkirk or some other place, for the purpose of re-establishing amity between the two nations. Lord Grenville's rejoinder, January 20th, repeated the sentiments of his first note; and thus the correspondence terminated. On January 22d, parliament being re-assembled, a message was delivered from the King, which began with observing that the supplies granted at the commencement of the session having been calculated only for the first months of the year, it was desirable that provision should be made for the vigorous prosecution of the war. Notice was then taken of the communications lately received from the enemy, which, with the answers returned, should be laid before parliament, in the confidence that the latter would appear conformable to the line of conduct required from his Majesty on the occasion. A second message was presented relative to the accommodation of the Russian troops in Guernsey and Jersey; and a day was appointed for taking both into consideration. On that day warm debates took place in each House on the subject of the reception given to the proposal of the first consul; but so prevalent was the feeling of dislike and suspicion towards the French government, that the approving address was voted in the House of Lords by a majority of 79 to 6; and in the House of Commons by 260 to 64. It is of little importance to notice other topics of parliamentary debate, which were decided by majorities that took away all interest from discussion. One of these was the late expedition to Holland, on which subject an enquiry was moved in each House; and it is certain that much public dissatisfaction, was expressed with the manner in which that enterprize terminated. The ministers, however, were not likely to consent to a measure which might give rise to unpleasant contention, and the enquiry was quashed. The financial resolutions proposed by Mr. Pitt exhibited a large increase in the national expenditure, the requisite supply being stated at thirty-nine and a half millions. To such a sum it was impossible to apply the principle of raising the greater part by taxes within the year; and therefore, in addition to the income tax and other additional duties, a loan of eighteen and a half millions was made a part of the ways and means. The most important business of the present session was that of bringing to a conclusion the proposed union of Great Britain and Ireland. The resolutions on this subject which had passed the British parliament having been transmitted to Ireland, a great dislike to the measure was manifested in Dublin and other towns; and on the meeting of the Irish Parliament on January 15th, a motion was made in the House of Commons that a disapprobation of an union should be declared in their address to the lord-lieutenant. was negatived by 138 votes against 96, and the whole plan of the union was afterwards brought forward by the ministers in both Houses. To the articles already This mentioned as forming the resolutions, it is only necessary here to add, that the number of Irish members to be admitted into the united parliament was stated, in the House of Lords, at four Lords spiritual by rotation of sessions, and twenty-eight Lords temporal elected for life by the Peers of Ireland; and in the House of Commons, at one hundred representatives. After much debate, in which considerable warmth was shewn by the opponents of the union, the principle of the resolutions was approved by a large majority, and a correspondent address to the King was voted. The subject being again introduced to the British parliament, it was discussed in both Houses, the principal topic of debate being the probable effects of the union upon the constitution; respecting which, it was contended by the opposition, that the influence of the crown arising from places in Ireland being on this plan to be concentrated upon a hundred representatives, instead of the whole former number of the House of Commons, it would necessarily be augmented. In reply to this objection, Mr. Pitt calculated that the number of placemen among the hundred would not exceed twenty. In that minister's speech on this topic, touching upon the subject of parliamentary reform, he took occasion to declare "his most decided opinion, that even if the times were proper for experiments, any even the slightest change in the representation must be considered as an evil," a declaration which was received by unusually loud cries of "Hear!" from the opposition benches. The whole proceedings in both countries relative to this great national measure being at length closed, the act of union received the royal assent on July 2d. A motion by the attorney-general for renewing the act for suspending the habeas corpus bill, produced that opposition which might be expected in a British parliament, to the continuance of an infringement of constitutional liberty, the necessity of which was yearly becoming less apparent. It was however argued, that we were not yet so well secured from internal dangers as to render it prudent to lay aside safeguards, the utility of which had been experienced; and facts to this purpose were referred to, contained in a copious report of the national disturbances published in the last year by the committee of parliament. The effect of this reasoning, and perhaps the habit for some years past of acquiescing in the call of ministers for the suspension, caused the motion to pass by majorities as decisive as before. A bill for continuing the act for the better securing and punishing such persons as should attempt to seduce his Majesty's subjects from their allegiance, was also passed about the same time. At this period, a scarcity of corn had raised the price of that necessary of life higher than had ever been known, and a committee of each House of parliament was appointed to consider of the most effectual means for remedying this distress. After much discussion on the subject, a bill was brought in and passed, prohibiting the sale of bread which had not been baked twenty-four hours; it being generally agreed that the consumption of stale bread would be much less than that of new. Resolutions were also entered into by the members of both Houses to lessen as much as possible the use of bread and flour in their families, and their example was generally imitated by persons of the superior ranks throughout the kingdom. The hand of charity, too, was liberally extended, and the lower classes testified their sense of these exertions for the most part by a patient and quiet behaviour. In France, the conciliatory means employed by Buonaparte on his accession to power for composing the troubles in the western departments were only partially successful, a considerable number of royalists or Chouans still remaining in arms. It was therefore resolved to join vigour with lenity; and General Brune being nominated to the chief command, he entered upon action in the month of February, and issued a proclamation offering his last conditions to the insurgents. Some of their parties who held out on expectation of farther aid from England were routed and dispersed ; and on February 15th a pacification was concluded, all |