aig ANNUAL REGISTER, 
able reply, to the different objec- 
tions that had been made to his 
motion, and dwelt particularly on 
the cruelties which, during the last 
rebellion, had been committed, 
under the mask of law, and coyered 
by the act of indemnity. 
The motion was then put and ne- 
gatived without a division. 
The next day, August the 12th, 
parliament was prorogued by a 
speech from the throne.* 
Thus terminated a session of par- 
liament, which had been protracted 
to the very unusual period of nine 
months; and which, for the im- 
portance of the subjects brought 
before it ;—the extent and variety 
of the pressure of public business ; 
—and the vigour and ability dis- 
played in debate, yielded to none, 
the proceedings of which have hi- 
therto appeared in the annals of 
British history. 
To the surprize, and perhaps to 
the disappointment of the country, 
’ the minister was left, at the proro- 
gation, upheld by nearly the same 
‘numbers, in both houses, engaged 
1803. 
to the support of his administratioy, 
which he could have counted upon 
at the meeting of parliament. Some 
defections, and those individually 
of the utmost weight and conse- 
quence, there certainly were ; nor 
was there to be found that union of 
character and ability, conjoined to 
numbers in the ministerial phalanx, 
which would have, in ‘all events, 
rendered it irresistable. Still, how- 
ever, a want of connecting princi- 
ple prevailed among the leaders of 
the hostile ranks ; and though, at 
the period to which we advert, 
every circumstance seemed favour- 
able to such a coalescence of ta- 
lent and character, in the country, 
as must, so united, have borne 
down every opposition; the season 
for political activity closed, as we 
have seen, without any visible de- 
crease of the influence of the pre- 
sent government, or of established 
co-operation and harmony among 
those parties, who seperately pro- 
fessed themselves adverse’ from its 
measures 
* Vide State Papefs. 
CHAP 
