occasion, tranquillity was for the most part restored before the close of the year; yet occasional outrages continued, which would not permit the strong hand of coercion to be withdrawn. The uncommonly high price of provisions was also productive of riots in various parts, unconnected with the former, and which required no extraordinary exertions for their suppression. As the ministers, at the time of the prorogation of parliament, appeared to be possessed of all the usual influence of government, the dissolution of parliament by proclamation on September 29th, surprised all who were not in the secrets of state; for although these assemblies had not lately been allowed to live out their assigned period, yet the present had 19 months to run before its natural termination. The motive for this measure was left to be conjectured; and the remainder of the year was chiefly occupied with the bustle of a general election, which, however, was attended with fewer contests than usual, especially for the counties. The new parliament assembled on November 24th, when the House of Commons unanimously re-chose Mr. Abbot for their Speaker. On the 30th, the Prince Regent for the first time delivered a speech from the throne, the topics of which were principally the political and military occurrences of the year. When the usual motion for the address was moved in the House of Lords, the Marquis Wellesley took occasion, from a passage in the speech recommending firmness and perseverance in the prosecution of the war, to review the past Spanish campaign, and endeavoured to prove that the system adopted by the ministry was "timid without prudence, and narrow without economy; profuse without the fruits of expenditure, and slow without the benefits of caution." He further touched upon omissions in the speech, particularly that of any mention of the Catholic question. Lord Liverpool in reply dwelt upon the exertions which had been made, and asserted that there had never been any requisition from Lord Wellington which was not complied with. As to the Catholic question, he confessed that he had not been able to see his way to a satisfactory adjustment. Mr. Canning in the House of Commons made a speech of a similar tenor with that of the marquis. The addresses were voted in each House without a division. Of the parliamentary proceedings previously to the Christmas recess, the most observable were a grant to Lord Wellington of 100,000 l.; the renewal of the goldcoin bill; and the grant of a relief of 200,000 7. to the sufferers in Russia. A. D. 1813. YEAR OF GEORGE III. 53 & 54. 1 & 2. Declaration of the Prince Regent respecting the Causes of War with America. Consequent Address. Parliamentary Proceedings concerning the Roman Catholics: Mr. Grattan's Bill defeated. — New East India Charter. Mr. Vansittart's new financial Plan, and Budget. Appointment of a Vice-Chancellor. Bill for augmenting the Stipends of Curates. Extension of Toleration to Unitarians. War in Spain. - Advance of Lord Wellington from his Winter Quarters. Battle of Vittoria, and Retreat of the French to their own Country. Failure of Sir J. Murray at Tarragona. — St. Sebastian taken by the Allied Army. Lord Wellington's Entrance into France, and farther Operations. Valencia and Tarragona evacuated by the French. — Defection of Prussia from the French, and Alliance with Russia. Advance of the Russian Army into Germany. - New Preparations of Napoleon. He joins the Army. Battle of Gross Groschen, and its results. — King of Saxony joins the French. The latter advance to the Oder. with Great Britain and Russia. - Hamburg. Negotiations for Peace. Austria declares War Renewal of Hostilities. Failure of the Allies at sequences. Bavaria joins the Allied Powers.· mies concentrated at Leipsic.- Actions and final of the French, and return of Napoleon to France. Liberation of Germany. -- against France.Dresden, and ConThe opposite ArEvent.· Retreat Progress of the Revolution in Holland, and Restoration of the Prince of Orange. - War between Denmark and Sweden. Surrender of Dresden and Stettin. - Actions in Italy. - Affairs of Switzerland. - Events of the War with the United States of America. Renewed Attempt on Canada defeated. Naval Actions. Fiume taken. The Plague at Malta. - Hurricanes in the West Indies. Parliament re-assembled. Royal Speech. - Bill for augmenting the disposable Force. - ON the meeting of parliament after the recess, Lord Castlereagh laid before the House of Commons the papers which related to the discussions with the American government, together with a declaration from the Prince Regent respecting the origin and causes of the war with the United States. This document gave a retrospective view of the measures adopted by the government of the States with regard to France and England, and displayed their partiality towards the former power. It recited the motives which had produced a revocation of the orders in council, and noticed the precipitation with which war had been proclaimed on the part of the States, and their refusal to consent to a cessation of hostilities. In fine, his Royal Highness declared, that he can never consent to admit the following points: That any blockade is illegal which has been duly notified, and is supported by an adequate force, merely on account of its extent, or because the ports and coasts blockaded are not at the same time invested by land: that neutral trade with Great Britain can be made a public crime subjecting ships to be denationalised: that Great Britain can be debarred of just retaliation through fear of eventually affecting the interests of a neutral: that the search of neutral vessels in time of war, and the impressment of British seamen found therein, can be deemed any violation of a neutral flag: that taking such seamen from on board such vessels can be considered as a hostile measure. This declaration seems important, as comprizing the principal of those maritime rights which are held so tenaciously by Great Britain. A result of this communication to parliament was a motion, on February 18th, by Lord Castlereagh, for an address to the Prince Regent, expressing entire approbation of the resistance opposed by his Royal Highness to the unjustifiable claims of the American government, and full conviction of the justice of the war in which we were engaged, with assurances of the cordial support of that House in every measure necessary for prosecuting the war with vigour, and bringing it to an honourable termination. In the speech introductory to this motion, and the subsequent debate, while the ministers and their friends inculcated the idea that the Americans were induced to declare war by the preva lence of a French, or an anti-anglican party, it was contended on the other side, that the cause of the war was in the orders of council, and might have been prevented by their timely repeal. The address was, however, carried without opposition. A similar motion was made in the House of Lords by Lord Bathurst, with the same result. At this period, the question concerning the claims of the Roman Catholics was become a matter of general interest, and the tables of both Houses of parliament had been crowded at the close of the past, and the beginning of the present year, with petitions on the subject, of which a great majority were in opposition to those claims. Its parliamentary discussion recommenced on February 25th, with a motion by Mr. Grattan for a committee of the whole House, to take into consideration the state of the laws affecting his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects in Great Britain and Ireland. The debate, in which it was scarcely possible to find new arguments on the general topic, and the new points of which chiefly referred to the conduct of the Irish Catholics since their minds had been irritated by disappointment, was continued by adjournment during four days. It terminated in a division, which produced for the motion 264 votes, against it 224. The proposed committee being then formed, Mr. Grattan mentioned his intention of offering two resolutions: 1. That the Catholic disabilities should be removed: 2. That the establishments in church and state ought to be effectually secured. He then made a motion declarative of the expediency of the removal of the Catholic disabilities, with certain exceptions and regulations, which on a division, was carried by 186 to 119. On April 30th Mr. Grattan introduced a bill conformable to this resolution. It contained an enactment that it should be lawful for persons professing the Roman catholic religion to sit and vote in either House of |