HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
@epree repressed and restrained.— 
The session of parliament was far 
advanced; and the character and 
opinions of Mr. Pitt on ‘the one 
hand, and of Lord Grenville, Lord 
Spencer, and their friends on the 
Other, were too well known to ad- 
mit of any apprehension, that by 
them the spirit of the country 
would be checked, or that any en- 
deavours would be omitted on their 
part, to animate and rouse the peo- 
ple to effectual measures of defence 
Against the aggressions of an ambi- 
tious and implacable enemy. The 
event justified this expectation.— 
The two parties, of whom there had 
been question in this negotiation, 
_ those whom the ministers had been 
feady to admit, only as accessaries 
to their own power, and_ those 
whom they professed themselves 
_ determined wholly to exclude,vied 
with each other during the remain- 
der of the session, not in obstruct- 
“Ing the measures proposed by go- 
oh 
\ 
ve | 
' 
+e 
5 
efficiency, 
yernment for national defence, but 
in endeavouring to give to them a 
degree of vigour, consistency, and 
which these measures 
were from their own nature incapa- 
_ ble of receiving. ‘And it was not 
until experience had demonstrated 
the impossibility of producing any 
public benefit by this course, that 
those steps were taken which led 
to the overthrow of the administra- 
tion; and of which it will be our 
duty to give an account among the 
transactions of the ensuing year, 
Having thus thought it necessary 
_ before we entered upon the detail 
of the causes of the renewal of war, 
(that great and prominent feature 
217 
of the transactions of the year) te 
discuss, as minutely as consisted 
with our means of information, 
and the necessary limits of our 
work, the political transaction, the 
weight and moment of which, none 
of our readers will estimate at a 
lower rate than ourselves; we shall 
here proceed to narrate the farther 
changes which took place in admi- 
nistration, subsequently to, and 
doubtless in consequence of, the 
failure of the negotiation, to induce 
Mr. Pitv’s acceptation of office, 
which took plas before the con- 
clusion of the year. 
We have already adverted to the 
appearance of Mr. Tierney and 
Mr. Hobhouse in the ranks of go- 
vernment,’ on ‘the evening of the 
memorable contest of the 3d of 
June, when colonel Patten’s motion 
gave rise to the animated and im- 
portant discussion, on the issue of 
which the very existence of the 
present administration depended :* 
and have also noticed the appoint- 
ment of the former to high official 
situation, with the probability of a 
similar meed being extended te 
the latter, for thé courteous and cris 
tical. suecour afforded on that 
threatening occasion, And we 
have also there given our opinion 
at length as to the probable advan- 
tages which ininisters might derive 
from these acquisitions. We shall 
therefore here only add, that the 
how treasurer of the navy, indivi- 
dually considered, was rated high 
as a parliamentary speaker—of 
perspicuous and manly powers im 
debate—of convincing if not splen- 
did eloquence—as a financier in« 
‘ * Vide page 177. 
dustridus 
