European manner. In the latter part of May, meetings were held between some leaders of the Janizaries and the Ulemas, or men of the law, at which it was determined that Sultan Selim should be dethroned, and his nephew Mustapha be placed in his stead. On the 29th of the month the Janizaries broke out into open mutiny; and though, according to the custom of that court, an attempt was made to appease them by the sacrifice of several members of the divan, who had incurred their displeasure, they were not to be diverted from their purpose. Mustapha, being taken out of the prison in which he was confined, was raised to the throne, and he had the humanity to spare the life of his abdicated uncle.

In the East Indies, a native chief who held of the Company as a zemindar, named Doondea Khan, refusing to appear before a magistrate on a summons for arrear of tribute, took refuge in his fort of Comona, where he was besieged by a military force under Major-General Dickens. An attempt to storm the place, on November 18th, was defeated with a loss of 700 men in killed and wounded. On the next day the Khan evacuated that fortress, and proceeded to another, which, also, he abandoned after a bombardment, and escaped with his troops across the Jumna.

The Danish West-India islands of St. Thomas, St. John's, and St. Croix, submitted without resistance in December, to a British squadron commanded by Sir A. Cochrane.

King's Speech.

A.D. 1808.

YEAR OF GEORGE III. 48 & 49.

PARLIAMENT 1 & 2.

Debates on the Transactions at Copenhagen. Dis cussion of the Orders in Council. - Budget. Clause in the Mutiny Act permitting Enlistment for Life.- Local Militia. - Bill against the Grant of Offices in Reversion. Bills altering the Punishment of stealing from the Person; and for the better Administration of Justice in Scotland. - Bill prohibiting Distillation from Grain. Affairs of Spain. Insurrection at Madrid, and Abdication of the King in favour of his Son. - The Royal Family go to Bayonne, where the Father and Son transfer all their Rights to Napoleon. - Bloody Conflict at Madrid between the Inhabitants and the French Troops. The Crown of Spain bestowed on Joseph Buonaparte.-General Insurrection of the Spanish Nation against the French. Its Cause adopted by Great Britain and Portugal. ·Events at Cadiz.- Surrender of the French General Dupont. - Actions in Valencia and Arragon. Campaign in Portugal.- Convention of Cintra. - Revolt of Spanish Troops in Denmark. Spanish Supreme Junta installed. Conference between Napoleon and the Emperor Alexander at Erfurt.-Napoleon enters Spain with a great Army.-- French Successes. Sir J. Moore's Advance and Retreat. Finland invaded by the Russians, and War between them and the Swedes. Armistice and Convention.. Further Annexations to France. The Papal Territories, and other Districts, annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. General System of Education in France. Murat declared King of Naples. Revolutions in Turkey. - Naval Transactions.— Failure of a Negotiation between England and the American States, and Continuance of the Embargo.- Death of the King of Denmark. -French Royal Family take Refuge in England.

ON January 31st parliament was opened by commission with a speech in which foreign affairs were dwelt upon at unusual length, their situation being unfortunately such as gave occasion for mentioning almost every European state as an enemy. The determination of France to force the fleets of Portugal and Denmark

into hostility with this country was first noticed, as the cause of the policy adopted towards those courts; and it was lamented that the failure of an attempt for negotiation with the latter had authorized having recourse to the extremity of force. To the machinations of France was also attributed the hostile conduct of his Majesty's late allies, of which, that of Russia was more particularly animadverted upon. With respect to the differences subsisting with the United States of America, it was said that an immediate and spontaneous reparation had been offered for the unauthorised act of force committed against an American ship of war, but that the government of that country had attempted to connect with the question relative to this act, pretensions inconsistent with the maritime rights of Great Britain, which his Majesty is determined never to admit. Par liament is further informed, that the French decree of blockade of this whole kingdom had in the first instance been retorted by a measure of mitigated retaliation; but this proving ineffectual, it had been found necessary to adopt others of greater rigour, which would require parliamentary aid to give them full operation. The increased product of the revenue is then mentioned as a subject of congratulation. In fine, it is affirmed, in his Majesty's name, that if ever there was a just and national war, it is the present; and that he confidently trusts that the characteristic spirit of the British nation will be displayed in facing the unnatural combination gathered round it. The usual motions for addresses on the speech gave rise to debates, the subjects of which being afterwards more fully discussed, they may be passed over. The addresses were carried in both Houses without a division.

The expedition to Denmark was the leading topic of debates in both Houses of Parliament, which occurred in consequence of various motions relative to the subject. It appears to have been considered most methodically in a motion by Mr. Ponsonby, who proposed to take a view of it in the three distinct relations of Denmark, Russia, and France; and 1st, to endeavour to ascertain

the disposition of the Danish government towards this country for some time previously to the attack on Copenhagen; 2d, whether immediately after the treaty of Tilsit Russia had entirely abandoned herself to the councils of France; 3d, what means France possessed to compel Denmark to depart from her system of neutrality, and especially how far the former power could have succeeded in any attempts to annoy us in the Baltic. As his motion for papers to elucidate these points was negatived by 253 votes against 108, the proof on either part was left deficient. It was however admitted, that there was no evidence of hostile intentions of Denmark towards this country before the aggression; and all that Mr. Canning endeavoured to establish on that head was, that it was probable, from past experience, that Denmark would be induced by inclination, or compelled by force, to join the league against us. With respect to Russia, it was held by the opposition, that there was no reason to suppose that any secret articles were contained in the treaty of Tilsit affecting the rights or interest of this country. The power of France to oblige the Danish Court to become her instrument was very differently regarded by the disputants on the opposite sides. Her ability to reduce by her arms all the continental territory of Denmark was readily admitted; but some good judges were of opinion that it would have been extremely difficult for the French to have landed upon the Danish isles in face of their fleet. The secretary of war, however, read an extract from some official papers to shew that at one period some steps had been taken by the Danish government for the purpose of enabling their fleet to oppose such an attempt; but that they had been abandoned, and that when the danger came, it was utterly unprepared for resistance. The moral attack and defence of the measure lay in a narrow compass. It was manifestly impossible to justify such a violation of all the laws subsisting between civilized nations, on any other ground than that of the existence of a strong necessity of self-protection, and the degree of this necessity was the point of argu

ment. There were some, indeed, who held that it would have been better to have encountered any hazard arising from the possession of the Danish fleet by our enemies, than to have stained our national character by a deed of lawless violence; but it may be presumed, from the great majorities by which the ministers were supported, that the general feeling led to a different conclusion; and the voice of the public appears to have coincided with that of parliament on the occasion. As to the mere party argument of recrimination employed against the late ministry, particularly by Mr. Canning, it may be passed over.

After several of the direct motions respecting this business had been disposed of, Lord Sidmouth moved for an address to the King, praying that the Danish fleet might be kept in such a state as not to preclude the possibility of restoring it, should circumstances occur under which it might be expedient so to do. This moderate proposal was supported even by some who had defended the seizure of the fleet, and who thought it a measure both of justice, and of true policy; it was, however, negatived by 105 votes to 51. A similar motion in the House of Commons by Lord Folkstone had the same issue. Lord Sidmouth afterwards moved certain resolutions relative to Danish merchant-ships detained in British ports previously to hostilities between the two countries, and at a time when there was no alleged cause of war or reprisals, and some of which had even decrees pronounced in their favour by the court of admiralty, as having been unjustly brought in; the purpose of which was that they might be restored to their owners, after being made answerable, in the first place, for the amount of British property sequestrated in Denmark since the declaration of hostilities. This motion also was opposed by the ministers, and negatived.

Discussions concerning the orders in council, which had been issued subsequently to Napoleon's decree of blockade, occupied the attention of both Houses for some time after the chancellor of the exchequer had in

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