THE

CONTENT S.

HISTORY OF EUROPE.

CHA P. I.

Germany. Some observations on the political state of that country. Death
of the Elector of Bavaria. Some account of the character and disposition
of his successor, the Elector Palatine. Austrian troops seize upon the
Lower Bavaria, and upon the Upper Palatinate. Substance of the con-
vention concluded between the Elector and the court of Vienna. Various
claims notwithstanding left open. Short view of the History of the two
great Branches of the Bavarian or Palatine line, so far as it relates to the
present contest. Claims of the House of Austria controverted. Claims of
the Prince of Deuxponts; of the Electress Dowager of Saxony; and of the
Dukes of Mecklenburgh. Protest entered by the first against the late
convention; and an appeal to the Diet of the Empire against the conduct
of the court of Vienna. King of Prussia espouses the cause of the Princes
who supposed themselves injured. Various memorials and documents laid
before the Diet by the Prussian and Austrian ministers. Memorial of
complaint by the Elector of Bavaria. Will of the late Elector laid be-
fore the Diet. Declaration to the Prussian Minister at Vienna. Fresh
remonstrances on the other side. Memorial by Prince Kaunitz to the
Prussian Minister. Direct correspondence between the Emperor and the
King of Prussia in Bohemia, and a negociation opened in consequence at
Berlin. Negociation fruitless. New proposals for an accommodation,
transmitted by the King to Vienna. Proposals rejected. Other pro-
positions on both sides ineffectual. Prussian manifesto.
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CHA P. II.

Great preparations for war on both sides. Conduct of the great neighbour-

ing powers. King of Prussia's military speech to his Generals. Presents

to the officers, and a gratification to the soldiers. Prodigious artillery.

State of Saxony. Neutrality proposed by the Elector; but such condi-

tions laid down by the court of Vienna, as amounted nearly to a rejection.

State and situation of the hostile armies. King of Prussia penetrates

into Bohemia from the County of Glatz, and seizes Nachod. Emperor's

army securely posted in the strong camp of Koningsgratz, and occupies

the passes on the Upper Elbe. All the endeavours used by the King to

bring the imperial army to action, or to induce it to a change of position,

prove ineffectual. Great prudence and judgment shewn by the Emperor

in this, his first essay in war. Operations on the side of Saxony. Prince

Henry passes the Elbe, and penetrates the mountains of Bohemia, on the

side of Misnia and Lusatia. Unusual difficulties in that march. Good

conduct of, and great applause gained by, General Belling. Defeats

General de Vins, at Tollenstein. Prince Henry advances to Leypa. General

Moellendorff, and other detached corps, enter Bohemia in different parts.

Marshal Laudohn breaks up his strong camp at Pleisswedel, and falls back

to the Iser, where he takes so admirable a position, that he effectually

prevents the junction of the opposite armies, covers the city of Prague, and

is himself inaccessible. Prince Henry's army being thrown into several*

divisions, forms a line of great posts, and of considerable extent. Singular

situation of the four cast armies in Bohemia. Effect of the great general-

ship and superior ability displayed on both sides. Another but ineffectual

negociation. Grand movement to the right, by the King. Pushes on

towards the head of the Elbe, by Burkersdorf, Wiltschitz, Hermanseifen,

and Lauterwasser. All his movements, and attempts to bring the enemy

to an action, prove ineffectual. Bad weather. Sickness. Difficult and

admirably conducted retreat to Wiltschitz, to Altstadt, and to Schatzlar,

King evacuates Bohemia. Various movements of Prince Henry's army,

preparatory to its retiring into Saxony. Prussians overrun the Austrian

Silesia.

CHA P. III.

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State of affairs previous to the Meeting of Parliament. Consequences of the

American War with respect to commerce. Conduct of France. Stability

of Administration equally secured by good or bad success. Sanguine hopes

raised by General Burgoyne's success at Ticonderoga, checked by subse-

quent accounts. Speech from the Throne. Addresses. Amendments

moved in both Houses. Great Debates. Protest.
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CHAP. IV.

Parliamentary enquiries into the state of public affairs, adopted by the oppo-
sition in both Houses. Motion for 60,000 seamen. Animadversions on the
state of the naty. Debates on the motion for a new bill, to continue
the powers granted by the former, for the suspension in certain cases

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of the Habeas Corpus Law. Progress of the bill. Debates on the mo-

tion for four shillings in the pound, land tax. Motion by Mr. Fox for

an enquiry into the state of the nation. Subsequent motions. Motion

for certain papers, after long debates, rejected upon a division. Circum- ·

stances attending the disclosure of the unhappy event at Saratoga. Debates

upon the magnitude of the sum granted in the committee of supply for the

ordnance service. Motion by Colonel Barre for papers, rejected. Mr.

Hartley's motions relative to the American war, rejected. Motion

by Mr. Wilkes for the repeal of the Declaratory Law, rejected upon a di-

vision. Great debates upon the motion of adjournment. Amendment moved

by Mr. Burke. Original motion carried upon a division by a great ma-

jority. Transactions in the House of Lords, similar to those of the Com-

mons. Duke of Richmond's motion for an enquiry into the state of the

nation, agreed to. Lord Chatham's motion for the orders and instruc-

tions to General Burgoyne, after considerable debates, rejected upon a di-

vision. Debates upon a second motion by the same noble Lord, relative

to the employment of the savages in the American war.. Motion rejected

on a division. Debates upon the question of adjournment. Motion car-

ried upon a division.
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CHAP. V.

Subscription for the American prisoners. State of public affairs. Scheme
for raising a body of troops to supply the loss at Saratoga. Difficulties
attending that measure. Subscription for raising new levies. Man-
chester and Liverpool raise regiments. Failure of the attempt in the
corporations of London and Bristol. Large private subscriptions in both
cities. Several regiments raised in Scotland, and independent companies
in Wales. Great debates in both Houses on the measure of raising forces
without the knowledge or consent of parliament; and on the question of
legality with respect to pricate contributions or benevolences. Motion in
the committee of supply for clothing the new forces, after long debates,
carried upon a division. Earl of Abingdon's motion for summoning the

judges on the question, overruled. His other motions for passing a cen-

sure on the measure, after lung debates, rejected upon a division. - [78

CHAP. VI.

Various motions preparatory to the enquiry into the state of the nation.

Duke of Grafton's motion for papers rejected. Mr. Fox and Colonel

Barre's motions also rejected. Complaints on the refusal of papers, and

of the defectiveness of those which were presented. Avowed motives of

the opposition in the enquiry. Mr. Fox opens the enquiry in the grand

committee of the Commons. Resolution moved and rejected. Mr. Burke's

motion relative to the employment of the savages, rejected after long

debates. Mr. Fox's motions in the committee, relative to the state of

the forces in America from the commencement of the war, and the losses

sustained

sustained on that service, rejected, after much debate. Debates on the

appointment of a Chairman, on opening the committee of the Lords.

Lord Scarsdale voted to the chair on a division. Debates on the Duke -

of Richmond's motion against sending any part of the old established home

military force on distant service. Motion rejected. Merchants give

evidence at the bar, of the great losses sustained by commerce in the

course of the war. Counter evidence, intended to shew the national ad-

vantages derived from the war. Several resolutions moved by the

Duke of Richmond, founded on the facts stated in the evidence of the

Merchants. Resolutions set aside, after much debate, by the precious

question.
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CHAP. VII,

Petition from the county of Norfolk. Lord North's conciliatory propositions.
Two bills brought in thereon. Effect of the Minister's speech. Conduct of
the minority with respect to his conciliatory scheme. Mr. Fox states his

information of the conclusion of a treaty between France and the American

deputies; calls upon the Minister for an explanation on that subject. Pro-

gress of the bills. Mr. Serjeant Adair's motion for the appointment of com-

missioners, after much debate, rejected. Mr. Powys's motion to admit a

clause for the repeal of the Massachusetts Charter Act, rejected on a divi-

sion. Motion by Mr. Powys for the repeal of the American Tea Act, and

by Mr. Burke for extending the provisions of the Declaratory Bill to the

West Indies; both agreed to. Conciliatory bills pass the Commons. New

house-tax. Mr. Gilbert moves for a tax of one-fourth upon salaries, annui-

ties, pensions, fees, and perquisites of offices under the crown. Motion car-

ried upon a division; but rejected the following day, on receiving the re-

port from the Committee, by a small majority. Mr. Fox's motion in the

Committee of Enquiry, relative to the state of the royal navy, after much

debate, set aside by the previous question. Mr. J. Luttrell's motion for an

instruction enabling the American commissioners to promise the removal of

any minister or ministers, who they should discover to be so obnoxious to

the colonies, as thereby to prevent the restoration of tranquillity, rejected

upon a division. Letter from General Gates to the Earl of Thanet read by

the Marquis of Rockingham. Motion by the Duke of Richmond, that the

letter should lie on the table, after some debate, rejected. Duke of Rich-

mond's motions relative to the state of the forces in America, after much

debate, set aside by the previous question. State and amount of the ex-

pences incurred by the war in America, set forth by the Duke of Richmond;

who proposes a number of resolutions founded thereon, which are all set

aside as before. Motion for the attendance of the Surveyor of the Navy,

made by the Duke of Bolton, and rejected upon a division. Several subse-

quent motions made by the same nobleman, and tending to an enquiry into

the state of the navy, after considerable debates, rejected. American con-

ciliatory bills passed by the Lords. Enquiry into the conduct of the trans-

port service by the Earl of Effingham, whose resolutions thereon are

rejected.

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