B II I T A I N. 



GTJ 



Such was the state of public affairs at the close 

 ' of 1800; > peril'.! also memorable for the severest 

 scarcity that IM.'I been experienced in the country 

 since t' 1 t unine at the close of the 17th century ; 

 xvlii'.- 'he ports of the Klhe, the Wescr, and of the 

 Baltic were shut against our commerce, and prohibit- 

 ed from relieving us with grain. 



Amidst 'hese discouraging circumstances, parlia- 

 ment assembled on the 2'_'d of January, 1801. The 

 great recei.t events, the union with Ireland, and the 

 hostile convention of the northern courts, furnished 

 matter sufficiently interesting for the royal address, 

 and for the debates of both houses. In the House 

 of Commons, Mr Grey still continued to declare his 

 unfavourable opinion of the boasted measure of the 

 union. With regard to the northern confederation 

 against us, though he could not acquit the Emperor 

 of Russia of violent and unjustifiable conduct, he 

 begged to draw a distinction between the case of 

 that potentate and of the other powers in dispute 

 with us. He expressed his doubts of the justice, as 

 well as the importance of our claims on the neutrals, 

 and of our high pretensions to the right of search. 

 Such claims had been wisely suspended in the year 

 1780, when the country was in a much less danger- 

 ous situation than at present, without any evil con- 

 sequences having resulted. Mr Pitt, in reply, defend- 

 ed the practice of searching neutrals, which it might 

 now be incumbent upon us to vindicate by force of 

 arms, on the plea of right, as well as of expediency. 

 The principle on which we were now acting, had 

 been universally admitted, and acted upon as the law 

 of nations, except in cases where it had been restrain- 

 ed and modified by treaties between particular states. 

 Those very exceptions were proofs what the law of 

 nations would be, if absolute and unrestrained by such 

 particular treaties. And with regard to the particu- 

 lar treaties between ourselves and the present hostile 

 confederates, they inculcated the right of search in 

 strict and precise terms. On the ground of expedi- 

 ency, he asked, whether, by desisting from search, we 

 ought to allow the navy of our ancient enemy to be 

 supplied and recruited, blockaded ports to be reliev- 

 ed, the treasures of America to be brought in neu- 

 trals from South America to Spain, and the stores of 

 the Baltic to Brest or Toulon. 



This was one of the lasi questions which Mr Pitt 

 had to debate in his ministerial capacity. The ex- 

 ecutive council of the kingdom was now on the eve 

 of dissolution : the minister and his colleagues, 

 Lord Grenville, Lord Spencer, Mr Windham, and 

 Mr Dundas, having determined to resign. Their 

 avowed reason was, their inability to accomplish the 

 full emancipation of the Irish Catholics. So much 

 had been already granted to that body of men, that 

 Mr Pitt had deemed it unsafe to make farther conces- 

 sions, until the union should be effected. When that 

 measure had been accomplished, every obstacle in the 

 way of emancipation seemed to be removed, but the 

 scruples of his majesty had been opposed to their 

 wishes. Such was the cause of their resignation, 

 held out by ministers to the nation and the parliament ; 

 but the strongest doubts were suggested by many, 

 whether the obvious necessity for attempting to 

 make peace with France, and their conscious inability 

 to conclude favourable terms, had not been weightier 



VOL. IV. PART II. 



motives than the business of the Catholics. A nrw I' 

 administration was speedily formed, in which Mr Ad- "/'J 

 dington was first lord of the treasury and charifllor <">*<>* m. 

 of tlie exchequer ; Lord Hawkesbury and Lord 1V1- 

 ham were secretaries of State ; and the Earl St Vin- Formation 

 cent first lord of the admiralty. From the number of a new 

 of Mr Pitt's friends, who were left in the subordinate niniuiry. 

 offices of the new administration, and from Mr Pitt's 

 language in parliament, it was suspected that he held 

 unavowedly an influence in their councils. Before 

 his resignation, the house had voted the supplies of 

 the year, which he estimated at forty-two millions. 



At the commencement of the year, an embargo Rmbarg* 

 was laid on all Russian, Danish, and Swedish vessels '"I " 

 in the ports of Great Britain ; but the court of Bcr- R US I;UI , 

 lin, although a party to the league, was, for particu- j^Bi-It^h 

 lar reasons, treated with deference and respect. It Ilott ,. 

 was resolved to strike with promptitude, since the 

 combined fleets of the north, had they acted by simul- 

 taneous movements, could have collected nearly 80 

 sail of the line, a power, which was made more for- 

 midable by the narrowness of their seas, and the dan- 

 gers of their coasts. 



On the llth of March, a British fleet of 18 line of A Britili 

 battle ships, with a great number of inferior vessels, fleet, under 

 sailed from Yarmouth, under the command of Ad- Admirals 

 miral Parker, assisted by Vice-admiral Nelson and y*^ *" 

 Rear-admiral Totty. The commanders were in- sai | s fo \ 

 structed to direct their efforts against the capital of the Baltic, 

 the Danish dominions, if our new plenipotentiary Mr 

 Vansittart should fail in detaching Denmark from the 

 hostile alliance. On the SOth of March the British 

 fleet passed the Sound, and anchored five or six miles 

 from the island of Hucn. During the passage of the 

 straits, a remote, but ineffectual cannonade was ex- 

 changed with the fortress of Cronenberg. 



Lord Nelson having offered his services for con- . , .. . 

 , , & . . . . . , , A , Lord Ncl- 



ducting the attack, was judiciously entrusted by Ad- son en _ 



miral Parker with an enterprize worthy of his genius trusted 

 and intrepidity. On the 2d of April, having weigh- with the 

 ed anchor, and made the signal for attack with 13 attack 

 ships of the line, he advanced to force the approaches pe 

 to Copenhagen, which were defended by eleven float- 

 ing batteries, a numerous artillery on the islands of the 

 Crown and Amak, and by a numerous fleet of ships 

 of different sizes, containing six of the line. Owing 

 to the intricate navigation of the narrow scene of ac- 

 tion, three of our chief ships, which were intended to 

 silence the batteries of the crown isles, were prevent- 

 ed from taking the station assigned to them, and al- 

 though they performed considerable service, this 

 circumstance considerably diminished the success of 

 the day. 



The action began at five minutes past 10 in the -j- ota | jg. 

 morning. The British van was led by Captain George feat of the 

 Murray of the Edgar, and his example of intrepidity Danish 

 was quickly followed by every officer and man in the " eet * n( ^ 

 fleet. After an action of four hours, the fire of the l) * tte 

 whole Danish fleet was silenced, and the majority of 

 their vessels were either burnt or taken. As soon as 

 the fire had slackened, and Lord Nelson had perceiv- 

 ed that the ships and floating batteries were in his 

 power, although the fire from the islands still conti- 

 nued, he sent a letter to the prince royal of Denmark, 

 addressed to the Danes, the brothers of the English- 

 men, in these words: " Lord Nelson has directions 

 4. <j 



