•.? 



A. D. 1795. 



i--y3, J;-.u.uary 16'" — Towards the later end of the year 1794 au ap- 

 plication was made from Holland, in confequence of the rapid progrefs 

 of the French army, for permiflion to bring over Dutch property of all 

 kinds to this country, without being obliged to pay the duties immedi- 

 ately on landing. The requeft was not then complied with. But now 

 the king, by an order in council, authorized the adiniffion of all merch- 

 andize and other effbds, which any of the inhabitants of the United 

 provinces fhould import diredly from the United provinces into any of 

 the ports of Great Britain, in any velTel whatever, and permitted them 

 to lodge their goods in warehoufes approved by the commiflioners of the 

 cafloms under the lock of the proper officers, till provifion fliould be 

 made by law for the re-exportation, or other difpofal, of them. By 

 another order (January 21"), the fame indulgence was extended to all 

 property of Britifh fubje<51:s, or the fubjeds of any friendly power, on- 

 board veflels failing from any part of the world to Dutch ports. 



In the very time when thefe friendly meafures of accommodation for 

 the Dutch v/ere imder the deliberation of the Britiflh cabinet, the fladt- 

 holder left Holland, and took refuge in this country. And the people 

 of the United provinces immediately manifefted a difpolition to connedt 

 themfelves with France rather than Great Britain. 



January 20'" — The French army, commanded by General Pichegru, 

 entered the city of Amfterdam amidil the acclamations of the inhabit- 

 ants ; and the other cities of the United provinces immediately follow- 

 ed the example of the metropolis of Holland. Thus were the United 

 provinces, containing prodigious depofits of merchandize and ftores of 

 every kind, transferred from the alliance of Great Britain to that of 

 France. And their alliance was foon after cemented by a treaty, where- 

 by the port of Flufliing was declared to be equally open to the veflels 

 of both republics-; and the navigation of the Scheldt (the old bone of 

 contention with the emperor) and that of the Hondt, were likeways 

 laid equally open to them both (May 15'"). 



As foon as the defedion of the Dutch was known here, orders were 

 ilTued for feizing all Dutch veflels in every Britifli port, in confequence 

 of which two fhips of war of 64 guns each, one frigate, and two floops 

 of war, fix homeward-bound and three outward-bound Eaft-India fhips, 

 and about fixty other veffels, were fecured in the one port of Plymouth. 

 And foon after (February 9"") the Britifh fhips of war and privateers 

 were authoi-ized to take all Dutch vefTels, and alfo all neutral vefTels 

 loaded with military ftores bound to Dutch ports *. 



February i 3"'' — It was found neceflary, though the average prices of 

 feme kinds of corn in Scotland were not fuch as, according to the laws 

 in force, could authorize the king to flop the exportation, and permit 



* Letters of marque an 1 reprifa! aga'nft the Dutch were net formally jfTued till the 15" of Sep- 

 tember 179J. 



