HISTORY OF EUROPE. [159 



individuals^ apprehended on the 

 suspicion of labouring under the 

 dangerous and dreadful malady in 

 question, amenable to summary 

 justice, and thereby more effectually 

 to provide for the public security. 

 It was proposed by the clause, to 

 prevent such individualsfrom being 

 bailed, in any circumstances, with- 

 out the concurrence of one of those 

 magistrates who committed him, 

 except by the judges, or at the 

 quarter sessions of the peace. 



The second clause proceeded on a 

 principle similar to the first, name- 

 ly, security ; but more especially 

 with a reference to the personal 

 safety of the sovereign. It was well 

 known that personslabouringunder 

 this deplorable calamity had an un- 

 accountable propensity to intrude 

 themselves into the residence of his 

 majesty. Nolessthan fourinstances 

 of this kind, more or less alarming, 

 had occurred since the affair of 

 Hadfield. As much as was possible 

 to remedy this evil, the clause pro- 

 posed by the chancellor would au- 

 thorize the secretary, or some other 

 high officer of state, to apprehend 

 and detain persons of that descrip- 

 tion, found in such suspicious cir- 

 cumstances, and to cause a com- 

 mittee of inquiry to take place ; 

 and, in case the individual should 

 be found really insane, to take the 

 most effectual steps for securing 

 them. Both these clauses, after 

 some opposition by the earl of Stan- 

 hope, who complained of the new 

 regulations as oppressive, the clauses 

 were agreed to, and inserted: and 

 the bill, through the usual stages, 

 passed into a law. This was a 



striking instance of the origin of 

 laws in particular and accidental 

 circumstances. 



On the twenty ninth, the parlia- 

 ment was prorogued to the seventh 

 day of October. The king, in his 

 speech from the throne on this oc- 

 casion, expressed " his peculiar sa- 

 tisfaction at the success of the steps 

 which had been taken for effecting 

 an entire union between his king- 

 doms of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 a measure which he should ever 

 consider as the happiest event of 

 his reign. He expressed great con- 

 cern at the severe pressure on his 

 people from the continued scarcity 

 of the season, but trusted that the 

 approaching harvest would afford a 

 speedy and effectual relief. With 

 regard to our foreign war, he said, 

 that the course of the campaign on 

 the continent had, by a sudden re- 

 verse, disappointed the sanguine 

 hopes which the situation of affairs, 

 at its commencement, appeared ful- 

 ly to j ustify, and had unhappily again 

 exposed a considerable part of Eu- 

 rope to those calamities and dangers 

 from which it had recently beea 

 rescued, by the brilliant success of 

 his allies. But notwithstanding the 

 vicissitudes of war he trusted, that, 

 through the constancy and firmness 

 of his parliament, he should be en- 

 abled, in conjunction with his allies, 

 to promote the general interests, 

 and to provide, under every circum- 

 stance, for the honour of his crown, 

 the happiness of his subjects, and 

 the security and welfare of the 

 British empire. The vicissitudes 

 of war alluded to by his majesty, 

 we now proceed to relate. 



