HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
*¢ that they deserved no other than 
the refutation of criminal justice’’*. 
It is probable that it was, by the in- 
stigation of Mr. Burke, who had 
become by this time a great favou- 
rite both at the court and with mi- 
nistry, that the Attorney General 
was directed to file an information 
against him for his libellous publica- 
tion: which was accordingly done 
in Easter term; and in order to dis- 
pose the minds of the nation to these 
acts, necessary for the public tran- 
quillity and safety, the proclamation 
already noticed, was issued on the 
Qist of May, against the publication 
and sale of seditious writings, with 
strong injunctions to all persons to 
inform against all those who should 
be guilty of such daring attempts. 
At a time when an attempt was 
made with very great success to 
turn the tide of popular animosity 
and passion, against both the French 
nation and French principles, there 
was a danger of the multitude run- 
ning as usual from extreme to ex- 
treme; and now, embarked in a 
common cause with the court and 
the law, might become the instru- 
ments of harassing and preventing 
literary efforts that might be neces- 
tt for securing liberty. In such 
reumstances, it was a great and 
important service, finally to establish 
by the libel-bill, the right of juries 
to decide upon the whole question 
at issue. 
It is with great satisfaction that 
we are to record in the history of 
the present session of parliament, 
an act of a disinterested and gener- 
ous nature, on the part of a minister 
of the crown, as well as on that ofa 
popular character in opposition to 
government. It is well known that 
sailors are a class of people, equal- 
ly thoughtless and ignorant of bu- 
siness, and extremely liable to be 
[173 
imposed upon by designing persons, 
under pretence of assisting them to 
recover their property. For the 
benefit of this meritorious class of 
men, although they never dreamt 
either of opposing government, or 
of influencing elections, Mr. Dun- 
das, treasurer of the navy, brought 
in a bill, which was passed into a 
law, for removing the difficulties 
which seamen, marines, and their 
respective heirs experienced in re- 
covering the wages to which they 
were entitled for their services. A 
printed account of the spirit and 
tendency of this act, in favour of 
seamen, was very humanely and 
considerately sent by Mr. Dundas 
to all the parochial clergy in Bri- 
tain, to be read from the pulpits: 
which was quickly followed by the 
happiest consequences. 
Another attempt, of a humane 
nature, was made shortly after the 
passing of Mr. Fox’s bill, by Lord 
Rawdon; who moved on the 11th 
of June, as he had done on sundry 
occasions before, for a revision of 
the laws relating to debtors and cre- 
ditors, in order to procure such re- 
gulations as might mitigate the seve- 
rity with which persons in debt were 
liable to be treated; but owing to 
the lateness of the season, and the 
necessity of giving a large portion 
of attention to a subject of so much 
importance, it was, at the instance 
of the law Lords, withdrawn for 
the present. The same grateful 
admiration that has just been 
bestowed on Mr. Fox, is due to 
Lord Rawdon for similar virtues 
and talents, exerted in similar 
services. 
The annual statement of the in- 
come and expenditure in the Bri- 
tish settlements in India, was next 
laid before the House, on the 5th 
of June, by Mr. Dundas, as usual. 
He 
* See Burke's Appeal, &c. page 95. 
