Mr. Forster drew a melancholy picture of the declining state of manufactures and commerce in Ireland. The exports had, for the last eight years, diminished regularly, while the imports as constantly increased. The linen manufacture, which was the great staple, was rapidly declining. He censured very much that system of finance in Ireland which rested principally on the encouragement of the distilleries and the consumption of spirits, to a degree which destroyed both the morals and the health of the Irish peasantry. He also disapproved highly of the management of the Irish sinking fund, which by no means gained on its national debt. Mr. Wickham contradicted the statements of the last speaker, and insisted that both the revenues and the trade of Ireland were recovering rapidly from those temporary injuries which they had received. Mr. Corry also proved that the decrease which the right honourable gentleman had stated, arose merely from temporary causes, and that the country was improving. Lord Castlereagh said, that if the sinking fund of Ireland was not so operative as that of England, it was merely because it had not been so long established. After some further observations from different gentlemen, the resolutions were put and carried. From this debate till the end of the session the attention of parliament was principally taken up in common routine business. There was no debate of any consequence, and almost the only interesting conversation which took place was with respect to the conduct of our government in India. Earl Suffolk, in the house of lords, in moving for certain accounts of the capital stock and bonded debts of the East India company, took occasion to animadvert very severely on the government of India, both with respect to the nabob of Arcot and of Oude. The dominions which the old nabob of Arcot, the most faithful and valuable ally we had in India, had left by his will to his grandson, of about thirteen years of age, were now occupied by British troops. He also reprobated the conduct of the British government to another Indian ally, the nabob of Oude: we had lately increased his contribution from fifty lacks of rupees to a hundred, and had seized a considerable part of his territories. The Earl of Dartmouth declared he had no objection to the motion, but he considered most of the observations of the noble lord entirely irrelevant to it, and by no means reguiarly brought before the house. ed. The papers moved for were grant Mr. Sheridan, in the house of commons, explained his reasons for not pressing the motion he had given notice of with respect to the Carnatic. He thought still that all the circumstances attending the deposition of the nabob of Arcot were pregnant with the strongest suspicions against the conduct and motives of the British government in India. They were themselves the informers, the accusers; the witnesses, and the judges in their own cause, and in consequence of their decision they themselves received the forfeiture of the young prince's dominions. These circumstances, by themselves, demanded the fullest explanation, but when it was stated N 2 that that the necessary information had not yet arrived from India, to enable the house to form a right judgment, then he felt himself precluded from pressing the business further at present. He concluded by moving, that the petition he held in his hand, from the regents of the Carnatic, be received, and do lie upon the table." The Chancellor of the Exchequer at first hesitated whether, in point of form, a petition from men styling themselves the regents of the Carnatic," could be received in point of form, but (upon Mr. Sheridan's saying, he proposed the petition as coming from subjects of the British power in India) he waved any further opposition; but observed, that he by no means found any thing in the documents now before the house, to impute criminality to the British government in India; and he was inclined to believe, that when the subject could be fully examined, it would be found that no blame at all attached to the noble and eminent persons who formed his majesty's government in that country. The petition was then received, and ordered to lie upon the table. Mr. Nicholls then, after a long preface, made his promised motion, that an address should be presented to his majesty, praying him to order an immediate examination of the claims of the son of the last nabob of Arcot to the dominions of his father. This motion not being seconded, the house adjourned. On the 28th of June, his majesty went to the house of peers in the usual state, and gave his royal assent to some bills that were then presented to him. After which he delivered a gracious speech, congratu lating parliament and the country on the peace and prosperity his subjects then enjoyed. The parliament was then formally prorogued, and very shortly after dissolved by proclamation. CHA CHAP. XIV. Proclamation of Peace.-Illuminations.- Death of Lord Kenyon-Character.-Rewards to Dr. Jenner-to Mr. Greathead-and to Lord Hutchinson.-Celebration of Mr. Pitt's Birth day.-Proclamation for a new Parliament.-Election-for Nottingham, and Coventry-Westminster, and Middlesex.-Delay in the French Embassy to England.Appointment, as Ambassadors, of Lord Whitworth and General Andreossy, on the Parts of England and France.-Discontents between those Countries-Causes alleged on both Sides.-Discovery of Colonel Despard's Plot.-General Reflections. PEACE EACE was proclaimed in the cities of London and Westminster on the 29th of April, and notwithstanding that the ardour with which the preliminary articles were received was considerably abated, by the insidious conduct of France, during the interval which had elapsed since that period, yet, generally speaking, the most lively sensations of joy were excited on the present occasion. Illuminations of the most splendid nature succeeded the ceremonial processions of the day, The house of the French minister* (Mr. Otto), the bank of England, the public offices, and the theatres, were particularly distinguished for the taste and brilliancy of their de corations, and very few accidents The repeal of the income tax, It may be worth while here to mention, as characteristic of the national feeling and character, a circumstance which occurred (a few days before the general illumination) at the house of this gentleman in Portman square: attracted by the preparations for the magnificent display which afterwards took place, the mob took nouce that the word CONCORD was put in coloured lamps over the door; the reading of John Bull, however, was CONQUERED, and his inference, that England was conquered by France; disturbance and riot were about to commence, when Mr. Otto, after some fruitless attempts at explanation, prudently conceded, and substituted the word AMITY. But it did not end here, for some sailors found out that G. R. was not surmounted as usual by a crown: this they peremptorily insisted should be done, and a lamp-formed diadem was immediately put up. N 3 singular of the law clear from the base and sordid practices of the unprincipled attornies of his own court; his persevering and ardent zeal in the repression of adultery and seduction, crimes which felt, on all occasions, the rigour due to such breaches of morality and the laws of society, during his long administration of the justice of the country; and the strictness with which he punished gamblers of every description, will long be remembered as conspicuous features of his fourteen years high and honourable discharge of the great public duty committed to his hands. In short, to borrow the words of a distinguished writer, singular and fortunate coincidence, The death of lord Kenyon, lord chief justice of England, which took place on the fifth of April in this year, may be considered as a public calamity, and merits particular mention. His lordship, after having filled up the great law offices which usually precede the high situation he afterwards attained, was appointed, in the year 1788, the successor of the venerable and distinguished earl of Mansfield (who had presided over the court of king's bench nearly thirtytwo years), and thus became a distinguished example of what may be attained by persevering industry, in the exercise of genuine, though not showy talent. Nor did he perhaps, upon the whole, however inferior in genius and eloquence, fall far short of his truly great predecessor in his magisterial and judicial capacity. His laudable, firm, and successful efforts to keep the channels He was profound in legal disquisition, patient in judicial discrimination, and of the most determined integrity. He never, on any occa sion, sacrificed his official to his parliamentary character. The sphere of his particular duty was the great scene of his activity, and though as a lord of parliament he never lessened his character, it was as a judge that he sought to aggrandise it.' On the 3d of June the public were highly gratified by the munificence of parliament in their vote of 10,000l. to doctor Jenner, the discoverer of the vaccine inoculation; and who had, in the spirit of the truest philanthropy, made it public, without stipulating for fee or reward. The committee to whom this matter was referred left no means untried to procure cases hostile to the efficacy of this noble invention, but in every instance the result was highly satisfactory. In France, in Russia, and even in Turkey, were to be found sufficient testimonies of its being introduced with with the most unequivocal success; and the favourable report of the committee established the discovery, in the mind of every rational man, as one which would in its operation completely eradicate that dreadful disorder the small pox; which (notwithstanding the check it received by the ordinary mode of inoculation) still continued its ravages. So highly impressed were the most distinguished members of the house with the merit of Dr. Jenner, and the importance of the discovery, that 20,000l. was proposed as more adequate to the expression of public gratitude. But this sum was opposed by the minister, who of course carried the first proposition, though but by a majority of three! Nor should in this short statement the name of admiral Berkeley be omitted, on whose motion the reinuneration was accorded. From the first development of the system, he had distinguished himself as the friend and patron of Dr. Jenner, had brought his discovery forward to notice through the medium of his high rank and great connections pressed it upon the attention of the nation by procuring the unanimous approbation of parliament to the discoverer, and now finally, by moving for this testimony of the public approbation and gratitude, so honourable to itself, and so justly due to the individual, completed his beneficent and laudable exertions. Nor will this particular notice be deemed idlevant, if we consider bow many noble discoveries, how many useful inventions, have been stifled in the birth; how many ingenious men have been lost to the world for want of the protection of a disinterested and zealous patron, such as the noble person we have alluded to has proved himself to Dr. Jenner; nor will he be without the meed of his meritorious conduct, for surely to be handed down to posterity with his name indissolubly linked to that of Jenner, the friend and benefactor of the human race; as his patron and protector, will be a source of the most exquisite and sublime gratification, and amply repay him for his unceasing efforts in the cause of humanity and friendship. On the same day, and under a parity of circumstances, (a larger sum being universally proposed as more commensurate with the merits and utility of the invention, but opposed by the minister,) a sum of 12007. was voted, for the invention of the life boat, to Mr. Greathead, by which, as it appeared from the assertion of a respectable member, 500 lives had been already saved to the community. And on the eleventh his majesty was pleased to bestow a signal mark of his royal favour and approbation upon lord Hutchinson, by granting him a net annuity of two *The following description of the life boat will perhaps be interesting to our readers: "Its form is that of a long spheriod, thirty feet in length by twelve feet over; either end pointed, and thus calculated to row both ways, an oar serving the purpose of the helm; about eighteen inches below the gunwale a strong lining of cork covers the whole of the inside, which gives the boat such a buoyancy as enables it to live in any water. The crew usually consists of twenty men, and the capacity of the boat enables it to receive about ten more." Mr. Henry Greathead was the original constructor, a Lative of, and a ship-carpenter at, South Shields. |