264 
land, ceaselessly, with the excep- 
tien of the journals directly within 
the influence of administration, 
poured forth the ebullitions of the 
public indignation against the am- 
bition and violence of the French 
despot. On the publication of Se- 
bastiani’s report, even those prints 
which had hitherto supported, im 
unison with the prevailing dispo- 
sitions of the English government, 
the pacific’ sy stem, had changed 
their tone; and as the language of 
their principals assumed vigour and 
firmness, they also essayed to im- 
press a similar effect on the mindsof 
the public; and had ventured even 
to canvass the probability of a spee- 
dy renewal of hostilities, and the 
absolute necessity of such a mea- 
sure, ; 
It was at this period that minis- 
ters, coinciding with the universal 
sentiment of the public mind ; influ- 
enced by the rumours which obtain- 
ed-im the beginning days of March, 
that the event they so much appre- 
hhended, namely, that an act of di- 
rect hostility, had occurred in conse- 
quence of the orders for the deten- 
tion of the Cape of Good Hope,* 
(by which they would incur the 
odium of a direct breach of the ar- 
ticle of the treaty of peace which 
provided for its restoration to the 
Jatavian republic within a limited 
time,) and far above the rest, by 
the apprelicnsion they could not 
but entertain of an opposition to 
their measures in parliament, from 
ARN UAL REGISTER, 
1805. 
the late minister and his friends, 
which, united with that already on 
foot would be far tooformidable for 
even their numbers to resist, and 
which would certainly, on the de- 
velopement of the existing negocia- 
tions; which the untoward event of 
the recapture (for such-it must be 
considered) of the cape would occa- 
sion, be arrayed a against them ; de- 
termined on publicly announcing 
the probability of the renewal of 
hostilities with France, and the 
necessity of arming the people.— 
In consequence of this resolution, a 
a message from his majesty was 
brought down to parliament, which 
stated that on the ground of con+ 
siderable military preparations be- 
ing carried on in the ports of France 
and Holland, he had thought it pro- 
per to adopt additional measures 
of precaution for the security of his 
dominions; and praying aid to en- 
able him to adapt such farther 
measures, (in the event of certain 
negociations then pending between 
England and France, not terminat- 
ing favourably,) for strengthening 
the country, as circumstances might 
require, 
To some or all of the causes, 
which we have agcribed as those 
which probably determined the 
English government on this mea~ 
sure, it ‘surely may be fairly at- 
tributed; at least none adequate to 
ils importance, can be found in 
those alleged. Of these mighty 
preparations in the French and 
* At the moment when the orders arrived, the greater part of the English garrison 
wwere embarked on bourd the ships destined to convey them trom the 
formal surrender of some of the forts had taken place, to the Datch government : 
ape, and a 
with 
considerable adroitness however the English commander in chief repossessed himself 
of the places given up, relanded his troops, and remained in possession of the settle- 
ment till the Counter- orders arrived, 
vi March, 
‘This fact was well known in London by the 6th 
Dutch 
