events, and which, he said, had thrown parties to an irreconcilable distance, whereby all the good that might have been obtained by co-operation was lost for ever. It would occupy too much space in our work to attempt giving a summary of a debate continued to a great length by different speakers; but the matter of which was little more than repetition of the topics opened in the motions and observations contained in the above extracts. The conclusion was that Mr. Palmer's address was agreed to, nem. con.; that Mr. Wilberforce having produced again the motion he had withdrawn, it was agreed to; as was likewise a motion by Mr. Canning, for a copy of the report of the assembly of Jamaica. In the House of Lords, Lord Holland, on June 27th, made a motion for an address, nearly in the same words as that adopted by the House of Commons, but with a brief addition relative to the negroes. The words were, "to make every necessary provision against any violation of the abolition acts, under the facilities which may be afforded by the restoration of peace." The address was unanimously agreed to. It may be mentioned, that there appeared a pretty general opinion, that it would be best to leave the measure of registry to the colonial authorities, without the interference of the British legislature, unless they should fail in their co-operation. On July 2d, the session of parliament was terminated by a speech delivered by the Prince Regent in person. After referring to the marriage of the Princess Charlotte with the Prince of Saxe Cobourg, and the Royal consent given to an union between his Majesty's daughter, the Princess Mary, and the Duke of Gloucester, his Royal Highness mentioned the assurances he had received from all the powers engaged in the late war of their pacific and friendly dispositions, and their resolution to execute inviolably the terms of the treaties entered into. Touching upon the arrangements adopted for discharging the incumbrances of the civil list, the greatest satisfaction was expressed with them, and an assurance given that, on the part of his Royal Highness, nothing should be wanting to bring them to full effect. The consolidation of the revenues of Great Britain was then mentioned with approbation. The measures to which his R. Highness had been under the necessity of resorting, for suppressing the tumults which had unfortunately occurred in some parts of the kingdom, were said to have been productive of the most salutary effects; and whilst deep regret was expressed at the distresses which circumstances, at the close of a long war, had unavoidably entailed on many classes of his Majesty's subjects, a confident reliance was declared on their public spirit and fortitude in sustaining difficulties, which, it was hoped, would be found to have arisen from causes of a temporary nature. CHAPTER CHAPTER VIII. Domestic Events.—Calamitous state of Europe in general, and its Cause. -Distresses of Great Britain.-Agricultural Distress, changing into that proceeding from a bad Harvest.—Discontents among the inferior Classes.-Disturbances in the Eastern Counties, particularly Cambridgeshire.-Sufferings among the Manufacturers.-Iron Manufactories.-Staffordshire.-South Wales.-Spitalfields.-Meetings for Petitioning.-Daring Riot in London.-Condition of Ireland.—Marriages in the Royal Family. THA HAT the first year after the restoration of general peace should have been characterised in this country, as that of a more widely-extended distress than its annals can for a long period exhibit, must doubtless have occasioned as much surprize as disappointment, in the greater part of the nation. This calamitous state of things must have been wholly unforeseen by those who direct its councils, if an inference may be drawn from that clause in the speech with which the Prince Regent opened the session of parliament, in which that assembly is informed, that "the manufactures, commerce, and revenue of the United Kingdom are in a flourishing condition;" for it cannot be supposed that deception, in so important a concern, would have been attempted for the purpose of obtaining a complimentary address. Yet the impending evils took their origin from sources so obvious to the view of every statesman, that we may wonder at any self-flattery, which could spread over them a momentary veil. In cause fact, the distresses of Great Britain have been contemporaneous with at least equal distresses in every part of Europe; and as such general consequences must have proceeded from a operating alike on all, it is impossible not to recognize as that universal cause a war of twentyfive years, in the baneful effects of which every European state has participated. Its operation was indeed somewhat different in different countries; but all were plunged in the same misfortunes of ruinous expenses, wasted finances, heavy public debts, and immoderate imposts. The condition of England was so far peculiar that, by means of her insular situation, she enjoyed a happy exemption from war upon her own territories; whilst, by her triumphant fleets, she was enabled to carry on an intercourse with every part of the world, whence she was not excluded by force of arms. By means of this commercial monopoly, and a much increased demand for many articles required by the wants of war itself, she long felt little other pressure pressure than that of augmented taxation, which seemed counterbalanced by the increase of the public revenues. But when these advantages were cut off by the peace, and Great Britain hoped to retrieve herself, by resorting to her usual customers on the Continent, she found them immersed in general poverty, and all eager to supply their wants by the exertions of their own industry. British manufactures, therefore, which, by the improvements of mechanical ingenuity, had been accumulated to a vast amount in the merchants' warehouses, found no regular demand, but were forced by speculation into foreign markets, where they could obtain a sale only at prices much below the prime cost. In consequence, the manufacturers found it necessary, either entirely to suspend, or greatly to reduce, the fabrication of their goods; whence a number of workmen in almost every branch became destitute of employment, and were plunged into severe dis tress. its states, that no one nation must hereafter expect exclusive commercial advantages; and if England may still hope to maintain her superiority as a manufactur ing country, it must be by supporting a relative superiority in skill, knowledge, and enterprize. After these general observations, we proceed to the particulars belonging to this chapter. The domestic distress which principally engaged the public attention in the early part of this year, was that of the agricultural portion of the community. The subject had occupied a large share of the deliberations of the preceding session of parliament; and it continued to employ the cares of a sitting committee in the House of Commons, which received voluminous reports of facts and opinions from every part of the kingdom. In our narrative of parliamentary transactions will be found notices of the principal discussions relative to this matter, together with a set of resolutions offered for legislative consideration, by the county member who appears to have taken the lead as the patron of the agricultural interest. From their tenor it will Such is the deep-rooted cause of a calamity, too widely diffused to admit of effectual relief from partial measures, and which be perceived that, the fact being demands a remedy applicable to the circumstances, not of one country only, but of all which have formed a part of the same system of policy. Europe required a breathing time, of a continuance proportioned to her past toils and sufferings. What her "future" we condition will be, is matter of conjecture; but it is obvious, that the spirit of internal improvement, and productive industry, is become so general in assumed, that the present state of agriculture in the kingdom was such as to afford the expectation of a superfluity in the regular supply of the necessaries of life from our own growth, the object was to prevent their depreciation by the importation of foreign supplies. It was therefore proposed to repeal that clause in the corn bill of the last year, which permitted the warehousing of foreign grain, duty free. Fortunately, tal, will ward off any extremity of want; yet a high price of the cessaries of life will continue to aggravate the general calamity till a return of plenty, The discontents among the inferior ranks of people, occasioned by the want of regular employ nately, the mass of discordant matter communicated to the committee in the progress of inquiry, so much retarded any parliamentary determination respecting the resolutions, that no alteration in the law had taken place, when a change of circumstances had given a very different idea of the statement, and by reduced wages, first of the country. An uncommon began to assume a menacing apinclemency of the seasons as the pearance in the counties of Noryear advanced, presented such folk, Suffolk, Huntingdon, and gloomy prospects for the approach- Cambridge; where nightly asing harvest, that the price of semblages were held, threatening corn began to rise; and instead letters were sent, and houses, of apprehensions, that the stores barns, and rick-yards were set on in the farmers granaries would fire, displaying melancholy proofs rot unconsumed, or become mere of the degradation of national drugs in the markets, the alarm character produced by long disof scarcity now took its turn. tress, and an interruption of the This fear was too well verified by usual habits of industry. Many the event; for the year's produce articles will be found in our of grain proved so deficient in Chronicle, relative to these unquantity, and inferior in quality, happy incidents; of which the that, after harvest, the price ra- most remarkable was a kind of pidly ascended beyond the point organized insurrection in the Isle at which the ports were open for of Ely, which was not suppressed importation; and the dearth ex- without a strong hand, and which tending through most of the terminated in the trial of a large countries of Europe, anxious looks number of criminals by a special were cast towards those quarters commission, several of whom paid whence foreign supplies might with their lives their daring atbe procured in aid of our boasted tacks upon the peace of society. home resources. Distress now appeared among the cultivators of the land, in a different shape; and the complaints were of scanty and ruined crops, and the poor in danger of starving. Before the year closed, riots broke out in some parts, occasioned by the sudden rise of the markets, but they were no more than transient disturbances. It may, however, be hoped, that the remainder of the former harvest, together with such importations as may always be commanded by superior capi 2 capi The distresses arising from the stagnation of manufactures were no where more severely felt than in those districts which had been rendered populous and flourishing by the numerous branches of the iron trade, several of which derived a large share of their demand from the consumption of war. Many great works of this class were suddenly put to a stop, with the effect of throwing entirely out of employment the labourers of different kinds, who Kanusho had been engaged in had been engaged in them. The southern . southern part of Staffordshire was particularly affected by this melancholy change; and the most lamentable accounts were transmitted of the state to which the working people of the populous village of Bilston were reduced, being rendered totally dependent on parochial relief, the funds of which were inadequate to preserve them from absolute famine. A body of men intimately connected with the iron factories, were the colliers, whose labours were nearly suspended from the same cause. Some of these resorted to a mode of obtaining relief from the public, occasionally practised in hard times-that of drawing loaded waggons of coals to distant towns, for the purpose of exciting commiseration. A division of these wandering petitioners approached the metropolis; but their advance was properly intercepted by the police, through the apprehension that their appearance might be attended with tumults, and they were sent back with admonition, and a gratuity. The same reception was given them on their march to other capitals; for although they preserved due decorum of behaviour, their mendicity came within the notice of the vagrant laws. For the most part, the sufferers in the iron manufactories bore their hardships with due resignation, and were grateful for the charitable exertions made for their relief. In the great works of South Wales, however, especially those in the vicinity of that new creation of art and industry, Merthyr Tydvil, large bodies of discarded workmen assembled in a tumultuous manner ; and were not restored to order without military interference, joined with such conciliatory measures as prevented any considerable mischief. In the other districts of the kingdom which partook, some of them largely, of the declension of manufactures, the public tranquillity was rarely disturbed. The hand of charity was liberally extended to the relief of distress; and plans were adopted in many places, for supplying the want of usual employment by new undertakings of public utility. In the metropolis, large subscriptions were entered into for relieving the numerous poor, who were reduced to the most urgent necessity by the failure of demand for the silk manufactures in Spitalfields, as well as by the loss of various other sources of employment; and in almost every parish contributions were raised for enlarging donations without additional burthens upon the poor-rates. In a state of society so pregnant with calamity, it is not surprising that the public mind was disposed to complaint and discontent; and that, in meditating upon the source of the existing evils, every defect in the system of government, how remotely soever connected with the mass of present misfortune, was studiously brought to view. We have seen, that in the great council of the state, the immense load of debt and expense entailed on the nation roused an active spirit of economy, which subjected to a rigorous scrutiny every demand upon the public purse not justified by utility, however sanctioned by the laxity of former times; and |