peafants, who are certainly too uninformed at prefent, and too dependent, to exercise the functions of active citizens; and the burgeffes, or inhabitants of the free towns, who might indeed have been put upon a footing with the nobles, but who enjoy their peculiar municipal privileges, and whofe number is too fmall to form a folid objection to the new arrangement. The provifions for conducting the legislative and executive departments appear well devifed, and promife both ftability and energy to the government. The circumftance which appears to have excited the frongeft oppofition in Poland, is the appointment of an hereditary inftead of an elective chief magiftrate; but certainly, if we contemplate the hiftory of Poland from the reign of Auguftus II. with a politician's eye, we fhall be difpofed to conclude, that nothing but a blind attachment to ancient prejudices Could difpofe any friend of his coun try to prefer the elective form. The oppofition indeed which at first was made to the conftitution, chiefly on account of the hereditary fucceffion, foon began to recede. Count Braniki, grand general of the kingdom, who at first had declared against the conftitution, acceded to it, and figned it at the diet on the 5th; and the celebrated friend of liberty, Malachowsky, great chancellor to the crown, who on that event had refigned the feals, re-accepted them at the requifition of the diet, and accepted the office of minister of justice, and for the interior department. On the 17th, M. Goltz, charge des affaires from the court of Berlin, announced his Pruffian majefty's approbation of the new arrangement, though there has been fome reason to fufpect that this profeffion was not accompanied with much fincerity. The good understanding which was eftablished between the courts of Vienna and Berlin by the collference of Reichenbach, enabled the former in the beginning of 1791 to bring to a termination the unhappy divifions and diftractions which per vaded the territory of Liege. There is a veil of mystery ftill fpread over thistranfaction, which utterly difables the politician from clearly diffinguish ing its caufes and motives. All that is known with certainty is, that during the latter part of the year 1789 the inhabitants of Liege complained ve hemently of the oppreffion which they experienced under the govern ment of their bishop, of an invation of their rights, and ventured toons fift upon a regular charter of privi leges; to which they affected they were entitled, not only by the impre fcriptible claims of justice and truth, but by their ancient constitution. It is indeed fcarcely poffible to con ceive a worfe fpecies of government than an elective fovereignty, where the appointment is confined to an ecclefiaftical body, and the people have no fhare nor influence in the election. A temporary monarch of this nature will act like the governor of a Roman province, sand will naturally be difpofed to increase the wealth of his family by thic plunder of the public. On the other hand, the territory of Liege was too fmall, and its power to contempt. ible, to allow the people to flatter themselves with any profpect of fuc+ cefs in an oppofition to the Germanic body, a part of whofe conftitution was the exifting government of this city. They could therefore be only deluded into infurrection by the hope of foreign fupport. What that fupport was to be we are left in ignorance; and it is only certain, that one of the principal perfons who promoted the oppofition to go vernment vernment had been for fome time refident at the Pruffian court. Be this as it may, as the bishop and chapter did not think proper to comply with the demands of the citizens, the datter had recourfe to arms; and the bishop becoming apprehenfive for his perfonal fafety, had recourset to a voluntary exile, and appealed to the imperial cham ber of Wetzlaerke Whatever might be the defigns of the king of Pruffia with regard to: Liege, we only know that he voluntarily undertook the office of mediator upon this occafion; and the voffer came from a quarter too powerful not to be accepted. His troops were cantoned in the neigh bourhood of the city; but its inhabitants confidered them as rather fentato protect than to coerce them. They affumed to themselves the functions of fovereign autho rity; a noted Frenchs prelate fub mitted to act the part of a pas geant on this occafion, as regent in their ecclefiaftical affairs; while the actual power was vefted in the hands of certain popular magiftrates.com In this ftate matters continued till the latter end of the year 1790, when the reconciliation between the two ruling powers of Germany, and the apprehenfions of the exe tention of the new doctrines in favour of the rights of man, induced the defpots of the continent at once to overturn this unsubstantial fa20 en bric of liberty. On the 20th of December, the imperial chamber of Wetzlaer iffued requifitorial letters, addreffed to the government of the Auftrian Netherlands, defiring that his imperial majefty's troops would affift thofe of the fe rene electoral princes, which were engaged in enforcing the fentences which the imperial chamber had fucceffively pronounced against the infurgents of Liege. Early in January the Auftrian troops began to enter the territory of Liege; and the city was almost evacuated by emigrations. The Auftrian noge. neral, baron Keubil, however, prepared the way for his reception by a conciliatory proclamation, in which he engaged that the ftricteft difcipline fhould be obferved, and no citizen molested except upon di rect provocation; and the only con dition that he required was, that they should not appear in arms, and that they should carefully diveft themselves of their cockades, fcarfs, &c. and abstain from all the fignals of infurrection. On the 12th of January the Auftrian troops ens tered Liege, and took poffeffion of all the public places, the palace, the hotel de ville, &c. the old mal giftracy, who had been expelled, were reinftated in their offices; the chapter refumed its functions; and, in the beginning of February, the prince bishop was reinftated in his full authority. 1 V ha to dron 21 zarghavent to vilica si Negociation and Convention with Spain concerning Nootka Sound, can War in India with Tippon Sultan. Dissolution of Parliament Meeting of the New Parliament, His Majefty's Speech Address moved andễ carried. Papers prefented relative to the Convention with Spain. Further Communications moved for Debate on that Subje&t. On the Convention & Debate on that Subject in the Lords. Ways and Means for the Expences of the dt Armament Debate on the Question, Whether Impeachments abate by a b Diffolution of Parliament? Debate on a Motion relative to abandoning by certain Articles of the Charge against Mr. Haftings. Motion to petition the King against proroguing the Parliament till the Evidence should be closed to on the Impeachment, Debate in the Lords on the Impeachments Debates on the Indian Waritom bre 297. Noun preceding volume we have ftated, as fully as circumftances would admit, the grounds of the difpute with Spain relative to Nootka Sound. The first event of importance, therefore, which prefents it self in our domeftic hiftory, is the pacific adjustment of that dispute in the latter end of the year 1790. In the volume alluded to, we ventured to exprefs our doubts concerning the prudence and good policy of the armament which was voted on that occafion nor has any thing fince occurred to us of fufficient force to exonerate the miniftry from the charge of precipitation at leaft. That the object itself was not worth a conteft, nor even the three millions which the armament coft, no perfon we prefume will be inclined to doubt but what is ftill more fur prifing is, that the views of Spain appear from the ftate papers relative to that tranfaction to have been from the very first pacific; nor can there be much question, but that if we had only firmly infifted on what we conceived to be our right, we might have obtained it without the expence of an armament. The unanimity indeed which was fhewn upon this occafion will appear not a little furprifing, unless we take into the ac has war,meqć nadw or skis feqior count the temper of the nation, and the ftate of parties at the period ip queftion. A paffion for war is, unhappily for the country, too much a characteristic of the English tem per and of all wars a Spanish war from the reign of Elizabeth been the most popular. In parlia ment, oppofition faw a diftant intereft in coinciding with the fentiments of the minifter on this occafion; and the minister himself, it is commonly fuppofed, was impelled by ftronger motives than any swhich were fubjected to public inveftiga tion. Thus all parties agreed in the propriety of lavishing the treasure of the nation; and scarcely an indi vidual was found manly enough to tell the public a falutary truth.d Spain from the first had declared that he was willing to fubmit the right of trading to that part of America to be determined entirely by the exifting treaties; and whet Mr. Fitzherbert arrived at Madrid, in the latter end of May, with ple mipotentiary powers to adjust the difpute, the firfbnotice he received from the court was a unanimous and decided refolution of the Spanish miniftry, to avoid if poffible a rop ture with Great Britain Suche was not the tone of the British ministry. W ་ With a haughtiness, which was pro- nifh coaft; thofe parts of the N.W. bably grounded on a knowledge of coasts of America, which are to the the inability of their adverfaries to north of thofe now occupied by purfue hoftile meafures, they infifted Spain, were left free; and thofe to on full fatisfaction to the British the fouth of the prefent Spanish fettraders previous to the difcuffion of tlements were declared to be the exthe point of right while the Spa clufive property of that state. I niards pleaded the neceflity of firftBut though Great Britain was determining the right, fince the in-thus happily refcued from the hordemnification demanded by the tra\rors of war in this quarter of the der ought to depend chiefly on the globe, accident or ambition involved legality of their proceedings. On our Indian poffeffions in conteff and thefe principles the negociation was in blood. At foremore a distance protracted to the latter end of July it is difficult to judge accurately of when Spain, finding herself in no causes and motives; but as nearly as respect able to refift the requifitions a diligent enquiry has enabled us to of Great Britain, confented that the collect the truth, the following apfatisfaction and indemnification pears a fair statement of the leading claimed by the English ambaffador facts: to erasorg si: „tumbs bluow fhould be confidered as a preliminary to the determination of the question. Suchiraq declarations webconceive oughtilto have beens confidered as the fignal of peace, andmass a notice to difarm but however uqaccount able its may appear, Great Britain fillocontinued its armaments with inceffant vigour, and the public trea fure was filk lavished with ao prodigal hand. The negociation was again protracted, wherefore we have Rever beem fully informed, till the 28th of October; when the meeting of parliament approaching, and a different object offering itself to the ambition or the refentment of miBifters, bit was thought proper to terminates the difpute, and a cons vention was figned, to m By this convention the restoration of the buildings and veffels, and the reparation of the loffes fuftained by the British, fubjects, were fecured the right of navigation and fishery was equally conceded to both na tions illicit commerce with the Spanish fettlements was however prohibited, and the British fishing veffels on others were restricted to ten leagues distance from the Spa The ufurpation of Hyder Ally, and the military prowels of his fon and fucceffor Tippoo Sultan, are facts too recent and too well known to require any repetition. Of sall the native princes of India, Tippoo was the most formidable to the Britih government, and the most hostile to its authority. The peace of Mangalore in 1784 had, it was fuppofed, fecured his fidelity by very feeble ties; and the splendid embassy which not long after that event he dif patched to France, afforded much reafon to apprehend that fome plan was concerted between the old go vernment of that country and the tyrant of Myfore, for the annoyance of Great Britain in its Indian pof** feffions: but this plan was happily defeated by the French revolution. The increafing power of Tippoo‹ was not less formidable to the Dutch than to the English; and the vicinity of Cochin, their most flourishing fettlement on the continent of India, to the territories of that aspiring monarch, made them tremble for its fafety. That fagacious people, however, have seldom been without their * refources. Besides Cochin,the Dutch I 3 were were poffeffed of two other forts, which were fituated between Mysore and their favourite fettlement and one of them, Cranganore, had been a place of fome note while in the poffeffion of the Portuguefe. From the Portuguese it was conquered by the Dutch, who retained quiet poffeffion of it till fome time in the year 1779 or 1780, when it was taken by Hyder Ally and garrifoned; but when the war broke out in 1780 between Hyder and the English, he was obliged to evacuate his garrilons on the Malabar coaft, to employ his force in the Carnatic; and Holland and France being foon after united with Hyder against the English, the Dutch embraced the opportunity of clandeftinely taking poffeffion and re-garrifoning the fort; ameasure which greatly offended Hyder, and of which he loudly complained. By the mediation of the French, however, a compromise took places but upon what terms is uncertain. 2 bud Britain, who was bound by treaty to affift him, that politic people eafly faw, that by placing them in his hands they erected a moft powerful barrier, no lefs than the whole force of Britain, against the encroachments of their ambitious neighbour upon their fettlement at a Cochin The imprudence of the rajah, in entering upon fuch a purchase while the title was difputed, drew down upon him the heaviest cenfures from the government at Madras; and he was repeatedly cautioned, both by fir Archibald Campbell and Mr. Holland, his fuccefforing the government, not to proceed in the ne gociation. Such however was the ardour and temerity of the rajah, in making this acquisition, that he not only concluded the purchase with the Dutch, but even treated with the rajah of Cochin, without the privity of Tippoo, though he was the acknowledged tributary of that prince, for fome adjacent territory. The bargain was concluded in Jaly 1789, though it was not till the 4thof Auguft that the rajah informed the Madras government, through their refident Mr. Powney, that he was on the point of making the purchase. From the vicinity of Cranganore and Acottah to his boundary, and their fituation within the territory ofcany Sacknowledged tributary to Myfore (the rajah of Cochin), the poffeffion of them was a most defi- It was not probable that l'ippoo rable object with Tippoo in the would remain an indifferent fpectator month of June 1789, therefore, he of these transactions. He insisted on marched a formidable force towards the claim which he retained over Cranganore, with a profeffed inten- thefe forts, in confequence of their tion of making himself master of it, being conquered by his father, and upon a claim chiefly founded upon in confequence of the fubfequent the tranfactions which we have juft compromife. He afferted thaty in virrelated. Unable therefore to retain tue of the feudal laws, no transfer the poffeffion of the forts themselves, of them could be made without his and fearing for a fettlement of much confent, as fovereign of Myfore fand fuperior value, the Dutch readily alleging as a further caufe of comentered into a negociation with the plaint against the rajhhy that he had rajah of Travancore for the purchase given protection to a number of his of them. It is faid that Tippoo of- rebel fubjects, he affembled a confifered a more confiderable fum than derable force, and on the 29th of De they obtained from the rajah but "cember made a direct attack upon the as the latter was the ally of Great lines of Travancore. On receiving a remon |