GENERAL HISTORY. 



[\35 



of the late parliaments, indeetl, 

 had been suffered to live out their 

 assigned period ; but manifest 

 causes for anticipation had existed 

 in some instances, and in others, 

 a )ear only had been retrenched 

 from their term of existence ; but 

 the present parliament had nine- 

 teen months to run before its legal 

 expiration. It was, therefore, to the 

 general surprise, that by a procla- 

 mation issued from the Prince Re- 

 gent, on Sept. 29, a dissolution of 

 parliament was declared, with the 

 announcement of writs for a new 

 one returnable on the 24th of No- 

 vember next. As no public rea- 

 son has been given for this step, 

 conjecture has been left to imagine 

 the most probable. It might be 

 thought that the pledge given by 

 the House of Commons of an early 

 attention to the catholic claims, 

 concurred in by a majority which 

 seemed to augur a prevailing dis- 

 position to grant them, suggested 

 to those who were adverse to the 

 measure this effectual means of 

 defeating it ; but the ministers 

 themselves differed on this topic ; 

 not to add, that such a change of 

 sentiment in the Prince Regent is 

 scarcely conceivable, as should in- 

 duce him to give his sanction to a 

 project for overthrowing attempts 

 which he once undoubtedly fa- 

 voured. Whatever were the im- 

 mediate motives for ministers in 

 advising this measure, it certainly 

 displayed a confidence in their po- 

 pularity with the nation at large, 

 or, at least, in the powers in their 

 hands for procuring such a return 

 of representatives as would rather 

 augment than diminish their influ- 



ence 



The remainder of the year was. 



of course, occupied with all the 

 bustle of a general election ; but 

 the shortness of the notice, joined 

 to the circumstances of the time, 

 seems to have abridged the usual 

 jjroportion of contests, especially 

 iu the counties. For the same 

 reason, few of those riots were heard 

 of which have so often disgraced 

 this period of popular licence. As 

 far as the temper of the nation can 

 be judged by the return of repre- 

 sentatives, the cause of opposition 

 had at least gained no ground by 

 the events of the year. In the 

 metropolis, and the towns of Bris- 

 tol and Liverpool, the candidates 

 in that interest underwent a defeat. 

 The case of the latter great com- 

 mercial port was extremely re- 

 markable. Though it hud been 

 peculiarly a sufferer from the ope- 

 ration of the orders in council 

 which had ruined its American 

 trade, the election went in fa- 

 vour of one who, when a mem- 

 ber of administration, had taken a 

 great share in promoting those or- 

 ders, to the rejection of the person 

 who had been the principal instru- 

 ment of their repeal — so little con- 

 fidence can be placed even in men's 

 apparent interests, when opposed 

 by their political prejudices ! It 

 is true, the system of carrying on 

 almost the only foreign commerce 

 left in this country, that by licen- 

 ces, has a direct tendency to aug- 

 ment the inflnenrc of government 

 over the mercantile interest ; while 

 the manufacturersln many branches 

 are equally subjected to the same 

 influence by means of contracts. 

 The monled interest in the metro- 

 polis has always been notoriously 

 at the disposal of every existing 

 administration. 



CHAPTER 



