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cf the whole hotly of electors in the kingdom.” Mr- 
Wilkes, in a public letter addreffed to his conftituents, 
“congratulated them on the (ignal reparation they had 
now obtained for their violated frarrchifes, and the inju¬ 
ries they had fuffained under the former adminiftration/” 
The new miniftry, though compofed of diffonaait and 
jarring materials, conduced public affairs with at lead: 
the appearance of perfedt and cordial unanimity, until 
the death of the marquis of Rockingham, July 1,-1782, 
in the meridian of his age, and at the very height of his 
political reputation ; the weight and influence attached 
-to which, combined with the excellence of his private 
character, and the mild benignity of his manners, formed 
that power of attradfion-which held together the new 
minifferial fyftem ; and when this ceafed "to operate, dif- 
order, confufion, and mutual repulfion, took place. On 
the very day fucceeding the deceafe of the marquis of 
Rockingham, the earl of Shelburne was declared firft 
lord of the treafury. The acceptance of this high office, 
without any previous communication with his colleagues 
in adminiftration, was conlidered by the Rockingham 
party as equivalent to a declaration of political hostility 
on the part of lord Shelburne. On this promotion, there¬ 
fore, Mr. Fox resigned the feals as fecretary of the north¬ 
ern department; lord John Cavendiffi his office as chan¬ 
cellor of the exchequer; the duke of Portland his go¬ 
vernment of Ireland ; lord Althrop, lord Duncannon, 
Mr. Frederic Montague, &c. their feats at the boards of 
treafury and admiralty ; and Mr. Burke his port; of pay. 
smarter of the army. -In confequence of thefe refignations 
and removes, the feals of the fouthern department were 
given to the-earl of Grantham; and of the northern to 
Mr. Thomas Townfhend, late fecretary at war ; fir 
George Young fucceeded Mr. Townfhend ; colonel 
Barre was made paymaffer of the forces ; and the lord 
advocate of Scotland, in his room, treafurer of the navy. 
The earl of Temple, eldeft fon of the late George Gren¬ 
ville, fucceeded the duke of Portland in the lord lieu¬ 
tenancy of Ireland ; but the promotion which attradled 
mod of the public attention was that of Mr. William 
.Pitt, who, at the age of three-and-twenty, was confti- 
tuted chancellor of the exchequer, ; an office which had 
been always fuppofed to require, in order to its proper 
difcharge, not fo much brilliancy of talents, as long pre¬ 
vious ftudy and experience, and confirmed habitudes of 
diligence and induffry in accounts. 
On the nth of July, 1782, the feffion terminated, un¬ 
der which the new adminiftration had been formed and 
reformed ; and the fpeech from the throne contained the 
welcome declaration, “ that nothing could be more re¬ 
pugnant to his majefty’s feelings, than the long continu¬ 
ance of fo complicated a war; and that his ardent defire 
of peace had induced him to take every meafure which 
prcmifed the fpeedieff accomplifhment of his willies.” 
The military events of the year yet remain to be nar¬ 
rated. The fortrefs of .Gibraltar had continued to be 
clofely invefted by the Spaniards; and the refolute de¬ 
fence of the garrifon began to attract the attention of 
Europe. Towards the clofe of 1781, by a moil fpirited 
and fuccefsful fortie, the Itupendous works eredled by 
the Spaniards acrofs the ifthmus which connedts the rock 
of Gibraltar with the Spanilh main, were ftormed and 
almoft totally demolilhed, when, after immenfe expence 
and labour, they had arrived at the higheft ftate of per- 
fedlion. In lefs than half an hour five batteries, with all 
the lines of approach, communication, and traverfe, were 
in flames; the magazines blowing up one after another 
as the conflagration fuccelTively reached- them ; the afto- 
nifhed Spaniards offering no other reliftance, than a dif- 
tant and ill-diiedted fire from the forts of St. Philip and 
St. Barbara. 
To balance this fuccefs, intelligence arrived early in 
the fpring of 1782, that general Murray, governor of 
Minorca, had been compelled, after a long and vigorous 
■rsfiftance, to furrender that ifland to the arms of his ca¬ 
tholic majefty. 'Formerly, the lofs of Minorca 'had og» 
cafioned the downfal of an adminiftration; but fuch 
were the infinitely greater misfortunes and difafters of 
the prefent war, that this event made little impreffion 
•upon the public, and it was fcarcely remarked, that no 
-attempt whatever had been made for its relief during a 
•fiege of one hundred and feventy-one days. 
The ifland of Nevis, in the Weft Indies, alfo about the 
Tame time furrendered to the marquis de Bouille and the 
•count de Gralfe ; by whom the moil liberal terms were 
-granted to the inhabitants. Eight thoufand troops, with 
a formidable train of artillery, were then landed on the 
important ifland of St. Chriftopher. Sir Samuel I-Jood, 
who now commanded the Britifh fleet in the Weft Indies, 
made ftrenuous efforts for its relief.: and, notwithftand- 
ing his difparity of force, in three fucceffive encounters 
with the count de Gralfe he obtained each time the ad¬ 
vantage, and, at length, by a dextrous manoeuvre gained 
poffeffion of the enemy’s anchorage in Balfeterre Road. 
Admiral Hood then landed a confiderable detachment of 
troops from Antigua under general Prefect; but general 
Frazer, the commanding officer on the ifland, who was 
ftrongly ported on an intrenched eminence, fent him word, 
“that as he had taken the trouble to come with troops 
to his aftiftance, he fhould doubtlefs be glad of the I10-. 
nour of feeing him, but he was in no want of him or his 
troops.” Notwithftanding this idle vaunt, he was obliged 
to furrer.der the ifland on capitulation, after a fiege of 
five weeks, on the 12th of February, 1782. In the fame 
month, Demerara and Iffequibo were captured by the 
French : alfo the ifland of Montferrat. The lofs of the 
Bahamas quickly followed, being reduced by a confider¬ 
able force under don Manuel de Cigagal, governor of the 
Havannah, to the obedience of the crown of Spain. 
On the 19th of February, however, fir George Rodney 
arrived in the Weft Indies with a ftrong reinforcement 
of fliips from England, and refumed the command of the 
fleet. Mighty preparations were now making both by 
the French and Spaniards, for the invafion of Jamaica ; 
and as the combined force of thefe powerful nations 
amounted to above fixty fail of the line, had a jundlion 
been effedled, the ifland would have been irrecoverably 
loft. The firft objedt of the Britifh admiral was to inter¬ 
cept a great convoy of troops, provifions, and (lores, ex¬ 
pedited from Europe: but in this lie was difappointed ; 
the enemy found means to efcape his vigilance, by making 
the ifland of Defeada, to the northward, and keeping clofe 
in (bore under the high land of Guaduloupe and Domi¬ 
nique, and arrived fafe at Fort Royale on the 21ft of 
March. It was the defign of count de Gralfe to proceed 
to Hifpaniola, and join the Spanifli admiral, don Solano, 
who was waiting his arrival, in order to make, in con- 
jundtion, the pre-concerted attack on Jamaica. 
On the 8th of April, at day-break, the French fleet 
left the harbour of Fort Royale ; and admiral Rodney, 
who had the earlieft intelligence of their movements, in- 
ftantly made the fignal for a general chace. Early the 
next morning he came up with the enemy under Domi¬ 
nique, where the van of the Englifli engaged the rear of 
the French, but the continued calms prevented a general 
or clofe adtion. In the morning of the 1.1th a frefh breeze 
fprung up, and the chace was renewed ; and towards 
evening the headmoft (hips of the van gained fo much 
on one or two of the enemy’s fliips, damaged in the late 
adtion, that the count de Grade thought it neceflary to 
bear down for the purpofe of protedling them. Sir George 
Rodney, who had eagerly watched for this opportunity, 
now manoeuvred the fleet with fuch (kill, as to gain the 
windward of the enemy during the night, fo as entirely 
to preclude their retreat. At feven in the morning of 
the 12th, the two fleets, being ranged in lines diredtly 
oppolite, engaged with the greateft fury. The French 
fliips being crowded with men, the,carnage was prodi¬ 
gious, but no viflble impreffion was made, or material 
advantage gained till about noon, when fir George Rod- 
■ JJey 
