1g HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
65 
rina Poy, 
% 
/ Discouraging prospects at the commencement of the year.—Mecting of 
_ Parliament after the recess Chancellor of the Exchequer moves for 
continuation of the Bank restriction bill.—Debate.—Supported by Sir 
F. Baring—Lord Hawkesbury—and Mr. Princep.—Opposed by Mr. 
Tierney—Fox—Banks.—Passes the Commons.—Moved in the House of 
Lords by Lord Pelham.—Debate.—Lord Auckland—Moira—King.— 
~ Second reading.—Debate——Lord Auckland —Grenville—Sheffield.— 
Passes without further opposition —Message from the King on the 
Prince of Wales’s affairs.—Congratulatory address to his Majesty from 
both Houses, on his providential escape from the machinations of Despard 
and his associates.—Account of the conspiracy.—Trial of Despard.— 
And execution of the Traitors, 
ey NEE very different circum- 
stances and aspects, did the 
year 1803, compared with that 
which preceded it, commence. 
Unbounded confidence in the go- 
vernment; security in the good 
understanding which subsisted be- 
tween France and Great Britain; 
and a firm reliance on the continu- 
ance of a peace, for which so many 
sacrifices had. been made on our 
part, and by which so many adyan- 
tages were secured to the enemy ; 
marked the first of these periods. 
_ At the latter era, distrust in the 
ability and firmness of the king’s 
‘Ministers; demonstrations which 
could not be mistaken, nor explain- 
ed away, of the hostility of the 
_ Views and designs of the ruler of 
_ the French nation; and the almost 
‘Inevitable rupture of the treaty of 
Amiens and a renewal of the war ; 
‘were the most prominent features 
‘of public opinion. In January 
1802, the public funds were high ; 
Vol. XLY. 
the spirit of commercial adventure, 
raised by the hope of arrangements 
for facilitating the trade between 
France and England; and internal 
tranquillity and attachment to the 
constitution, universally prevailed 
throughout all parts of the British 
Empire: In January ,1803, the 
stocks began rapidly to decrease in 
price ; nocommercial treaty what- 
ever had taken place with France; 
and our prisons were crowded with 
traitors, whose suspected aim and 
purpose, were to overthrow our esta- 
blishinents by the aid of France; 
while in Ireland, beneath a smooth 
and tranquil surface, the current of 
disaffection and discontent, set rip- 
pling in; to the dismay ofall, save 
those who ought not implicitly to 
have trusted to appearances, 
Before we proceed however, to the 
detail of the circumstances, which 
produced this great and unlooked for 
change of affairs ; in order to preserve 
the integrity of our subject, we shall 
he previously 
