JJ R IT A I N. 



655 





for 



est act 

 ted. 



their stead a single duty on each article. The ex 

 ' o, though not so intricate as the customs, 

 needed reform and regulation ; and the duties on 

 single articles, such ns candles, spirits, &c. were to 

 be brought into one point of view, and rendend so 

 simple in the collection, that tune could be no dai.ger 

 of mistaking them, or f being obliged to trust impli- 

 citly to the collecting officers. Another financial re- 

 gulation was adopted, though with less unanimity. In 

 collecting the duty on post hoises, it was notorious, 

 that the revenue had been largely defrauded every 

 year, by the collusion between collectors and inn- 

 keepers. To supersede those frauds, the minister 

 proposed to divide the country into districts for col- 

 lecting the tax, and to farm it. Mr Windham, with 

 great force, represented the practice of firming as a 

 nov Ity of dangerous precedent in our constitution, a 

 practice peculiar to despotic constitutions, and which, 

 in the present instance, would leave one of the highest 

 powers of the executive government to men, who, if 

 the subject were aggrieved, would be absolutely be- 

 yond the reach or controul of parliament, till their 

 farming lease had expired. The numbers of the oppo- 

 sition rose considerably in the votes on this question, 

 iion for The English dissenters, a body of no insignificant 

 weight in the public scale from their numbers and 

 respectability, had been the warmest supporters of 

 Mr Pitt in the last elections, and looked with san- 

 guine zeal to the support of the minister in their 

 pretensions to farther toleration, which they now 

 expected from 'he growing liberality of peaceable 

 times. In the present scs-ion, Mr Beaufoy made a 

 motion for repealing the corporation and test acts, 

 and was seconded by Mr Fox with his accustomed 

 energy. It was not without surprise, that the dis- 

 senters beheld, in the person of that minister, for the 

 sake of whose elevation they had decried and resist- 

 ed Mr Fox, a severe opponent to their claims. Mr 

 Beaufoy's motion was rejected by a large majority. 



The subject of Mr Hasting's impeachment had 

 been resumed early in the session, and had occupied 

 a large proportion of it. On the 7th of February, 

 Mr Sheridan opened the third charge against the 

 late governor, respecting his cruelty to the Princesses 

 of Oude, the wife, the mother, and the family of 

 Sujah Dowlah, our own ally in India, whose trea- 

 sures were their only treasons ; but who were turned 

 out of their palace by Hastings, (who had been 

 constituted their guardian,) to the rigour of the mer- 

 ciless seasons, and to the yet more merciless soldiery. 

 These, and other charges, having been successfully 

 voted as grounds of impeachment by a majority in 

 the commons, the minister himself being unable to 

 resist the conviction of the most important charges, 

 it was voted, (May 10.) that Mr Hastings should 

 be impeached ; and Mr Burke accordingly did im- 

 peach him, at the bar of the House of Lords, of 

 high crimes and misdemeanors. 



The session was closed by a speech from the 

 throne, on the 80th of May, in which his majesty, 

 after expressing his satisfaction at the prosperous si- 

 tuation of the empire, and the general tranquillity of 

 Europe, lamented the dissensions which unhappily 

 prevailed among the states of the United Provinces. 



Since the conclusion of the war with England, 

 Holland had been torn by internal dissensions. In- 

 volved, as she had been, in a quarrel with the Em- 



ach- 



Ir 



HgS 



led. 



umrs 



llauc. 



peror of Germany, from whose vengeance and rapa- 



10 was with difficulty saved by the intei I 

 of Franco, the faction of the Louvestem and of the 

 Piince of Orange came, in 17N(>, to actual civil war ; 

 and the states of Holland took the violent resolution 

 of suspending the stadtliolder from his office of cap- 

 tain-general of the provinces. The new monarch of 

 I'rus-ia, I'red'-rick William, whose sister was the 

 Princess of Orange, feeling for his rchtivcs, and 

 anxious to make a display of his power, interfered, 

 through his ambassador, with the states general. 

 They, more temperate in their views than the states 

 of Holland, were unfortunately too feeble to over- 

 awe the latter, and were unable to settle the dispute 

 by the mediation of Prussia and Britain, although 

 they wished to do so. The states of Holland, on 

 the contrary, were in the interest of France, and so- 

 licited the court of Versailles to interpose their me- 

 diation. The French ambassador answered tardily, 

 that his most Christian m jesty would assist the 

 Dutch, in case they were attacked by any fore gn 

 power. As soon as this declaration was known, it 

 animated the court of London to act with greater 

 spirit and decision in support of the stadtholder, and 

 the most vigorous naval preparations were made to 

 second the King of Prussia, in case France should 

 oppose him by land. This promise was made by 

 France in September ; but, in the mean time, an ac- 

 cidental circumstance having drawn the King of 

 Prussia to change his remon.itrances into actual hos- 

 tilities against the opponents of the stadtholder, deci 

 ded the fate of Holland for the present, and afforded 

 France an opportunity of evading her promise, since 

 the insurgents were actually quelled before France 

 could have interfered. The Princess of Orange, a 

 bold and high spirited woman, had taken the resolu- 

 tion of going to the Hague and addressing the peo- 

 ple, trusting to her own popularity and eloquence. 

 She was, however, insulted by the populace, and for 

 some time kept a prisoner in their hands. This in- 

 sult roused Frederick William, who, at the head of 

 20 000 men, entered Holland. The Dutch patriots 

 fled every where before him. The cities most dis- 

 tinguished for democratical zeal surrendered almost 

 as soon as summoned. On the 10th of October, 

 Amsterdam opened its gates to the victor. Such 

 was the event of Prussia's interference. In the mean 

 time, the dignity of Mr Pitt's language, and the 

 suddenness of his preparations, conspired, with the 

 deranged state of the French finances, to intimidate 

 that power from intetfenng farther, although very 

 serious preparations by sea and land had followed 

 her declaration of intending to succour the Dutch. 

 In answer to the memorial of the Duke of Dorset, 

 our ambassador at Pans, it was declared, that his 

 most Christian majesty never had meant to interfere 

 by force in the affairs of Holland, and that he agreed 

 with pleasure to the proposal of his Britannic ma- 

 jesty tor mutually disarming. 



The present period of peace seemed to favour the 

 growth of moral, as well as of physical prosperity in 

 the country, and the session of 17K8 was memorable 

 for the first discussion that took place in parliament 

 on the subject of abolishing the inhuman African 

 slave trade. By the unfortunate md'spositioii of Mr 

 Wilberforce, the day appointed for that gentleman'* 

 motion for abolishing the traffic was passed, without 





Civil w. r 

 in Hol- 

 land ; 



Which ;, 

 quelled by 

 tlie inter- 

 ference of 

 the king of 

 L'russia. 



Motion for 

 abolishing 

 the slave 

 trade. 

 1788. 



