234 
they were equally within the pro- 
tection of the law, with every other 
foreigner !— But the next article, 
distinctly and peremptorily de- 
mands, the expulsion of all emi- 
grants, from the British dominions, 
who should continue to wear the 
decorations of the orders belonging 
_ tothe ancient government of France. 
To this it was replied, on the part 
of the English government, in sub- 
stance, that it would be incon- 
sistent with the laws of the country, 
to comply with this demand, though 
his Jordship acknowledges, that “ it 
might be more proper if the emigrant 
praaces and nobles abstained from 
wearing the INSIGNIta complained 
of Le" 
Such was the stile of demand, and 
such the answers of the respective go- 
vernments, in the propositions made 
to Great Britain by France, so far 
as they relate to the subject of the 
emisrants from the latter country, 
residingin England. From this por- 
tion of the discussion, we turn suf- 
ficiently mortified and disgusted at 
the alternate arrogance and humility 
which it has been our painful task 
to display; to the more satisfac- 
tory contemplation of its only re- 
maining part, namely, the press, 
which, although it form the first of 
the objects of M. Otto’s demand, 
we have reserved, as unconnected 
with the other five, for our sepa- 
rate consideration, 
There never probably had oecur- 
ed a period, when the English press 
was more devotedly attached to the 
support of an administration, than 
at the precise moment, when its 
freedom of discussion became the 
object of the resentment of the first 
consul, ‘To the minister, under 
whose auspices the treaty of Amiens 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
had been concluded, it was com- 
pletely subservient: every act of 
his and his colleagues, was diurnally 
advocated, with a zeal and persever- 
ance almost unexampled; while the 
conduct, the views, and even the per- 
sonal character of the little band, 
which was stiled ‘ the new opposi- 
tion,” and whose hostility to that 
treaty, and to the measures of the 
government, were well knowh, met 
with the grossest, most illiberal, and 
(occ asionally) the most wanton scur~ 
rility. It wasalso sufticiently ascer- 
tained, that it was the ardent desire 
of government, in all events and un-- 
der every circumstance, to keep well 
with the first consul. From these 
premises, it might be concluded, 
that the influence of the ministry 
would have had weight enough (as 
the inclination certainly was not 
wanting) to have made use of this 
great lever of public opinion, as a 
powerful engine, to second their 
views of keeping Bonaparte in 
good humour; or, in all events, 
that they could have prevented 
those alarming and tyrannical cir- 
cumstances in his conduct, with re- 
spect to his own country, or the 
states of Europe, from being can- 
vassed too curiously, and discussed 
with that openness and candor which 
naturally belong to the free press of 
a free people. If such were the 
hopes of government, it was egre- 
giously disappointed ; however nar- 
rowed in its views of party at home; 
on the great scale of universal policy, 
the British press was found in the 
able and impartial exercise of its 
functions; the palladium of the li- 
berties, not only of Eugland, but of 
all Europe; the steady asserter of 
the rights and freedom of mankind, 
and the bane and obstacle to the 
despotic 
