General Conway, in reply, "lamented the defection of the diftinguished characters who had recently withdrawn themselves from office, at a time when their country fo much needed their fupport. He protefted that he knew of no defalcation in the present ministers from those principles which they had originally profeffed: nor any diverfities of opinion in the cabinet, beyond thofe fhades of difference which must always arife amongst men of strong and independent minds."

On the following day the duke of Richmond expreffed in the houfe of lords fimilar regret at the late refignations. "So long, and fo long only, as the noble lord who now prefided at the board of treasury, should adhere to the principles on which the administration was originally formed, so long would he give him his cordial fupport. Whenever these principles were abandoned, he would be his most determined opponent."

The earl of Shelburne now rofe to declare "his perfect fatisfaction at being fupported upon the terms stated by the noble duke." He faid, "he lamented as much as any man, the death of the late marquis of Rockingham, and the loss sustained by the cabinet in the retreat of two perfons fo remarkably diftinguished, one by the fplendor of his abilities, the other by the unimpeached integrity of his character. The office he now held, his lordship affirmed, was within his grafp when the firft arrangements were forming, but he had then given way to the noble marquis; though he had now accepted the poft, as that nobleman was no more: and this, he believed, was the only reason that the late right honorable fecretary had withdrawn himfelf. But if the monarch was divefted of the power of appointing his own fervants, he would be reduced to the condition of a king of the Mahrattas, who had nothing of fovereignty but the name. He had been charged, his lordship faid, with inconfiftency relative to America: but his opinion ftill was, as it ever had been, VOL. II.

that

that whenever the parliament of Great Britain acknowledged that point, the fun of England's glory was fet for ever. Other lords however thought differently, and the question would foon come under the full and impartial difcuffion of parliament; but he repeated, that if parliament conceded that point, he forefaw that England was undone; for that ruin and independence were linked together-the ruin not of England only, but of America."

It was fufficiently evident from this speech, that more than "fhades of difference" had exifted in the cabinet previous to the refignation of Mr. Fox. But it excited the utmost astonishment in America, that fuch language as this fhould be held in parliament by the first minifter, after fir Guy Carleton had been two months before expressly authorized to declare to the congrefs, "that his majefty, in order to remove all obstacles to peace, had commiffioned Mr. Grenville to propose the independency of the thirteen provinces in the first instance, instead of making it a condition of a general treaty:" and the difcordant language held on the different fides of the Atlantic, was indignantly cited as a new inftance of British artifice and perfidy. As to the right of the king to appoint his own minifters, on which lord Shelburne laid fo great stress, it was entirely remote from the point in question, which regarded merely the wisdom and patriotism of his lordship's eager acceptance of an offer, which was evidently calculated to destroy all confidence, and to gratify the aspiring views of a favoured individual, to the extreme eventual detriment of the public.

Had the earl of Shelburne acted with openness and candor in the critical circumftances in which he was placed, there is good ground to believe that his higheft ambition might have been gratified, a fincere and cordial union of parties formed, and a firm, efficient, and patriotic adminiftration ultimately eftablished, uncontaminated with the deteftable leaven of TOR YISM.

On

On the 11th of July 1782, the feffion terminated, and the speech from the throne contained the welcome declaration," that nothing could be more repugnant to his majefty's feelings, than the long continuance of fo complicated a war; and that his ardent defire of peace had induced him to take every measure which promised the speediest accomplishment of his wishes."

The military events of the year yet remain to be narrated. The fortress of Gibraltar ftill continued closely invefted by the Spaniards, and the refolute defence of the garrison began to attract the general attention of Europe. Towards the close of the preceding year, 1781, by a most fpirited and successful fortie, the ftupendous works erected by the Spaniards across the ifthmus which connects the rock of Gibraltar with the continent, were stormed and almost totally demolished, when, after immenfe expence and labor, they were arrived at the highest state of perfection. In less than half an hour five batteries, with all the lines of approach, communication and traverfe, were in flames-the magazines blowing up one after another, as the conflagration fucceffively reached them-the astonished Spaniards offering no other refiftance, than a distant and ill directed fire from the forts of St. Philip and St. Barbara.

To balance this fuccefs, intelligence arrived early in the fpring of the new year, that general Murray, governor of Minorca, had been compelled, after a long and vigorous refiftance, to furrender that island to the arms of his catholic majesty. Formerly the lofs of Minorca had occafioned the downfall of an administration; but fuch were the infinitely greater misfortunes and difafters of the prefent war, that this event made little impreffion upon the public, and it was fcarcely remarked, that no attempt whatever had been made for its relief during a fiege of one hundred and feventy-one days.

The island of Nevis, in the West Indies, also about the fame time furrendered to the marquis de Bouillé and the

count de Graffe; by whom the moft liberal terms were granted to the inhabitants. Eight thoufand troops, with á formidable train of artillery, were then landed on the important ifland of St. Chriftopher. Sir Samuel Hood, who now commanded the British fleet in the West Indies, made ftrenuous efforts for its relief: and, notwithstanding his difparity of force, in three fucceffive encounters with the count de Graffe le obtained each time the advantage, and at length, by a dextrous manoeuvre gained poffeffion of the enemy's anchorage at Baffeterre road. Admiral Hood then landed a confiderable detachment of troops from Antigua under general Prefcot; but general Frazer, the commanding officer on the island, who was strongly posted on an intrenched eminence, fent him word, "that as he had taken the trouble to come with troops to his af fiftance, he fhould doubtlefs be glad of the honor of feeing him, but he was in no want of him or his troops." Notwithstanding this idle vaunt, he was obliged to furrender the ifland on capitulation, after a fiege of five weeks, on the 12th of February 1782.

In the fame month Demerary and Ifequibo were captured by the French: alfo the ifland of Montferrat. The lofs of the Bahamas quickly followed, being reduced by a confiderable force under don Manuel de Cigagal, governor of the Havannah, to the obedience of the crown of Spain.

On the 19th of February fir George Rodney arrived in the Weft Indies with a strong reinforcement of fhips from England, and refumed the command of the fleet. Mighty preparations were now making both by the French and Spaniards, for the invafion of Jamaica; and as the combined force of these powerful nations amounted to above fixty fail of the line, had a junction been effected, the island was irrecoverably loft. The firft object of the Britifh admiral was to intercept a great convoy of troops, provifions, and stores expected from Europe: but in this he was dif appointed; the enemy found means to escape his vigi

lance,

lance, by making the island of Defcada, to the northward, and keeping clofe in shore under the high land of Gaudaloupe and Dominique, and arrived fafe at Fort Royale on the 21st of March. It was the defign of count de Graffe to proceed to Hifpaniola, and join the Spanish admiral, don Solano, who was waiting his arrival, in order to make, in conjunction, the pre-concerted attack on Jamaica.

On the 8th of April, at day-break, the French fleet left the harbor of Fort Royale; and admiral Rodney, who had the earliest intelligence of their movements, inftantly made the signal for a general chafe. Early the next morning he came up with the enemy under Dominique, where the van of the English engaged the rear of the French, but the continued calms prevented a general or clofe action. In the morning of the 11th a fresh gale sprung up, and the chafe was renewed: and towards evening the headmoft ships of the van gained so much on one or two of the enemy's fhips, damaged in the late action, that the count de Graffe thought it neceffary to bear down for the purpose of protecting them. Sir George Rodney, who had eagerly watched and waited for this opportunity, now manœuvred the fleet with fuch skill, as to gain the windward of the enemy during the night, and entirely to preclude their retreat. At feven in the morning of the 12th, the two fleets, being ranged in lines directly oppofite, engaged with the greatest fury. The French fhips being crowded with men, the carnage was prodigious, but no visible impreffion was made, or material advantage gained till about noon, when fir George Rodney, in the Formidable, followed by his feconds the Namur and the Duke, perceiving an acci dental interval which invited the attempt, bore directly with full fail athwart the enemy's line, and fuccessfully broke through, about three fhips fhort of the centre, where the count de Graffe commanded in the Ville de Paris. Being quickly fupported by the remainder of his divifion, the English commander wore round close upon

the