2S4 



COALITION. 



ally increased, though on a very limited scale, un- 

 til the beginning of the last century, when the steam- 

 engine was brought forward by Newcomen in the 

 year 1705, and was applied to collieries in the vi- 

 cinity of Newcastle about the year 1715. This ma- 

 chine produced a new era in the mining concerns of 

 Great Britain, and as it were in an instant, put every 

 coal-field within the grasp of its owner. Collieries 

 were opened in every quarter ; and the coal trade 

 rapidly extended to an astonishing scale. This ex- 

 tension of the trade was greatly aided by James 

 \Vutt, who so very much improved the principles and 

 power of the steam-engine, as to render it one of the 

 most complete and most useful pieces of mechanism. 

 To Newcomen and Watt the mining interest of Great 

 "rim in is highly indebted; to the latter, the empire 

 osves its great rise and improvement as a manufactur- 

 ing country. 



The collieries of Great Britain are now upon the 

 most extensive scale, and are of the first importance 

 to the kingdom, both as regarding its political and 

 commercial interests ; so much so that it is evident, 

 without cheap coal, the manufactories of Great Bri- 

 tain, could not be brought forward in competition 

 with those of the other nations of the world, where 

 manual labour is comparatively very low ; in short, 

 the coal-mines of Great Britain form a physical and 

 prominent point in the political state of the empire. 

 The capitals employed in the collieries, and in the 

 shipping connected with them, are immense, amount- 

 ing to many millions. A very considerable propor- 

 tion of the population of the kingdom is employed in 

 the mines and coal trade, while the ships which carry 

 coals coastwise, are a nursery for thousands of the 

 most intrepid seamen which are to be found in the 

 world. 



It cannot easily be estimated what is the total pro- 

 duce of coals in Britain, but it must extend to many 

 millions of tons ; for it is known that the output of 

 coal upon the rivers Tyne and Wear, in the coun- 

 ties of Northumberland and Durham, amounts to 

 three millions of tons annually, of which only a small 

 quantity is used in the district, the greater part being 

 shipped coastwise. In these two districts alone, it 

 is estimated that 70,000 people are employed hi the 

 coal trade, and that the capital invested in the col- 

 lieries and shipping is above two millions and a half 

 of money. 



The great coal field of Britain, which is composed of 

 numerous subordinate coal-fields, crosses the island in 

 a diagonal direction, the south boundary line extend- 

 ing from near the mouth of the river Humber, upon 

 the east coast of England, to the south part of the 

 Bristol channel on the west coast ; and the north 

 boundary line extending from the south side of the 

 river Tay in Scotland, westward by the south side 

 of the Ochil mountains, to near Dumbarton, upon 

 the river Clyde ; within these boundary lines North 

 and South Wales are included. This area is about 

 2(iO miles in length, and, on an average, about 150 

 miles in breadth. Within these bounds all the chief 

 coal fields are found upon which collieries have been 

 established in Britain ; and no coal field of any con- 

 sequence has been found, either to the north or south 

 of the lines above mentioned, excepting some small 

 patches of thin coals of inferior quality, and the coal 

 field of Brora in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, which is 

 far disjoined from any other coal field. It is calcu- 

 lated that many centuries must elapse before the 

 present supply of coal in Britain can be exhausted. 

 The coal fields of Durham and Northumberland alone 

 are estimated to furnish their present annual supply 

 for more than 1700 years. 



COALITION ; in chemistry the reunion or com- 

 bination of parts which had before been separated. 



In the beginning of the French revolution, the 

 French authors used this expression, by way of con- 

 tempt, to denote the confederation of several powers 

 against France ; the word alliance appearing to them 

 perhaps, too noble for the object. From that time 

 the word has been received into diplomatic language ; 

 but there is generally some idea of reproach connect- 

 ed with the use of it. The diplomatists of the con- 

 tinent of Europe have made this distinction between 

 alliance and coalition, that the former is more gene- 

 ral, the latter is directed against a particular enemy 

 for a distinct object. The first cosilition against 

 France was concluded between Austria and Prussia 

 for the preservation of the constitution of the Ger- 

 man empire, and for checking the progress of the 

 French revolution (7th of Feb. 1792.) The separate 

 peace with Prussia, concluded at Bale (5th of April, 

 1795,) and the line of demarcation for the north of 

 Germany, were the first steps to the dissolution of 

 the German empire. The next coalition is that of 

 1793. Germany declared war (22d of March), and 

 was afterwards joined by Portugal, Naples, Tuscany, 

 and the pope. In addition to this, a treaty of alli- 

 ance was concluded at London, between Great Bri- 

 tain and Russia. The third is the triple alliance en- 

 tered into at St. Petersburg, by Russia, Austria, and 

 Great Britain (28th of Sept. 1795), at a time when 

 several princes of the empire withdrew their troops. 

 This coalition was dissolved by the peace of Campo- 

 Formio, between Austria and France, in which, at 

 the same time, a general congress for the conclusion 

 of peace with the whole empire was appointed at 

 Rastadt (9th of Dec. 1797, to April, 1799). The 

 negotiations which took place here were declared 

 null by Austria ; for, during them, a new coalition 

 (the fourth) had been formed between Russia, the 

 Porte (23d of Dec. 1798) and Britain. Austria and 

 Naples, also, were induced to join it. Separate trea- 

 ties of peace dissolved it again, viz. the peace of 

 Luneville with Austria and Germany (9th of Feb. 

 1801), that of Florence with Naples (28th of March 

 1801) that of Paris with Russia (8th of Oct. 1801), of 

 Paris with the Porte (9th of Oct.), and of Amiens 

 with Great Britain (25th of March, 1802). Of all 

 these states Great Britain first declared war against 

 France (18th of April, 1803), and in April, 1805, new 

 negotiations were begun between Britain, Russia, 

 Austria and Prussia, for another coalition (the fifth) 

 against France. At Petersburg, the two first pow- 

 ers contracted to effect a general*confederation of 

 the European states against France, for the restora- 

 tion of peace and the political balance, and for the 

 foundation of a federative system adapted to secure 

 the rights of nations. All the powers were to be 

 invited to join this confederacy. In the same year, 

 it was partly dissolved by the peace of Presburg 

 with Austria (26th of Dec. 1805), and completely, 

 by the peace of Paris with Russia (20th of July, 1806). 

 Prussia, which till then had not taken an active part, 

 thought herself strong enough to encounter France 

 single-handed. The accession of Britain and Rus- 

 sia (besides the previous junction of Saxony and, 

 probably, of other temporizing cabinets) produced 

 the sixth coalition. The peace of Tilsit (7th and 9th 

 of July, 1807), put an end to this union ; and the 

 peace at Vienna (14th of Oct., 1809) terminated the 

 Austrian coalition with Britain (the seventh). Final- 

 ly, we may mention under this head the last great alli- 

 ance against France. It consisted first of Russia and 

 Britain, but was increased in succession by the ad- 

 dition of Spain and Portugal, Sweden, Prussia, Aus- 

 tria, the German princes with few exceptions, Naples, 

 and, at last, Denmark. It ended with the peace of 

 Paris (31st of May, 1814). The return of Napoleon, 

 however in 1815, revived it. From this sprang the 



