772 E N G 1 
Iluftings flow in the light of a culprit, for any meafures 
taken by h\mprevioiifly to the period in which he had been 
. nominated by aft of parliament, governor.general of India." 
On the 13th of June, the fecond charge, relative to the 
rajah of Benares, being brought forward, it was refolved 
by the houfe, on a divifion of 119 to 79 voices, “ that 
this charge contained matter of impeachment againft the 
late governor-general of Bengal,” On thisoccufion Mr. 
Pitt fpoke in fupport of the motion. On the nth of 
July, 1786, an end was put-to thefe proceedings for the 
prefent by a prorogation of the parliament, which was 
difunded with adiirances of “ the particular fatisfadtion 
with whi'ch the king had obferved their diligent attention 
to the public bufinefs, and the meafures they had adopt¬ 
ed for improving the refqurces of the country.” 
Soon after the rifing of parliament, aftngular incident 
occurred which ingrofled for a moment the attention of 
the public. As the king was alighting from his poft- 
chariot at the garden entrance of St. James’s palace, 
Augutt the 2d, a woman decently drelfed prefented a pa¬ 
per to his majefty ; and while he was in the aft of receiv¬ 
ing it, (he (truck with a concealed knife at his breaft. 
The king happily avoided the blow by drawing back ; 
and as (he was preparing to make a fecond thrutt, one of 
the yeomen caught her arm, and the weapon was wrench¬ 
ed out of her hand. It appeared that this poor woman, 
whofe name was Margaret Nicholfon, had for a long time 
laboured under a mental derangement; die was therefore 
taken to a proper place of fecurity, and maintained at the 
king’s expence. 
In September, 1786, the king was pleafed to appoint a 
new committee of council, for the confideration of all 
matters relating to trade and foreign plantations. Of 
this board the famous Charles Jenkinfon, now for his 
long and faithful (ervices created lord Hawkefbury, and 
conftituted chancellor of the duchy of Laneafter, was de¬ 
clared prettdent. Under the aufpices of this new com. 
mittion a treaty of commerce was (igned between the two 
courts of England and France, September 26, 1786, on 
the liberal principles of equality and reciprocity. Its 
general principle was to admit the’mutual importation 
and exportation of the commodities of ea^i country at a 
very low ad valorem duty. About the fame time a con¬ 
vention was (igned with Spain of fome importance, as it 
finally terminated the long fubfifting difputes refpedting 
the fettlements of the Englilh nation on the Mofquito 
fhore, and thecoaft of Honduras. By the prefent treaty 
the Mofquito fettlements were formally and explicitly 
relinquittied, as they had already virtually been by the 
6th article of the general treaty of 1783. In return-the 
boundaries of the Englifli fettlements on the coatt and 
bay of Honduras were fomewhat extended, but in fuch 
manner, and on fuch conditions, as to leave the king of 
Spain in full poflefiion of his territorial rights and exclu- 
five dominion. 
The impeachment of Mr. Haftings was refumed on the 
7th of February, 1787, when Mr. Sheridan opened the 
third charge refpedting the begum princelfes of Oude, 
with an eloquence and energy which were perhaps never 
furpafled. On a divifion, the numbers were, in favour of 
the motion 175, againtt it 68. On the 2d of March, Mr. 
Pelham opened the charge relative to the nabob of Fer- 
ruckabad, which was affirmed by 112 againft: 50 voices. 
On the 15th of March, the charge upon the lubjedt of 
contrails was brought forward by (ir James Erfkine. 
54 All of them,” fir James obferved, “ were made in 
diredt violation of the regulations of the court of direc¬ 
tors.” On this article the divifion was, ayes 60, noes 26. 
Upon the 23d of March, the charge relative to Fyzoela 
Khan was brought forward by Mr. Windham. This'vvas 
carried on a divifion of 96 againft 37 voices. On the 
2d of April, Mr, Sheridan opened to the houle the 
charge upon the fubjedt of corrupt and unreafonable pre- 
fents. Upon a divifion, the numbers appeared, ayes 165, 
.AND. 
noes 54. On the 19th of April, the charge refpedting the 
wafte of the revenues was opened by Mr. Francis, who 
had formerly occupied with fo much honour, the office 
of member of the fuprerae council in India, and who 
had recently taken his feat as a member of the houfe of 
commons. This charge was confirmed, notwithftanding 
the unexp&dted diffent of the minifter, by 71 to 35 voices. 
On the 9th of May, the report made by Mr. Burke 
from the committee, to whom it had been referred to 
prepare the articles of impeachment, was confirmed by 
the houfe, ayes 175, noes 89. On the following day it was 
'voted that Mr. Haftings be impeached: and Mr. Burke 
accordingly, in the name of the houfe of commons, and of 
all the commons in Great-Britain, repaired to the bar of 
the houfe of lords, and impeached Mr. Haftings of high 
crimes and mifdemeanours. On the fame day the articles 
actually prepared w'ere fent to the lords; and on the 21ft 
Mr. Haftings, being conducted to the bar of that houfe 
by the ferjeant at arms, was taken into the cuftody of the 
black rod, but on the motion of the lord chancellor was 
admitted to bail—himfelf in twenty thoufand pounds, and 
two fureties, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Sumner, in ten thou¬ 
fand pounds each ; and he was ordered to deliver in ara 
anfwer to the articles of impeachment in one month from 
that time, or upon the fecond day of the next fefiion of 
parliament. On the 30th of May, 1787, the king put an 
end to the feffion by a fpeech, applauding 44 the meafures 
taken by parliament refpedting the reduction of the na¬ 
tional debt, and the treaty of navigation and commerce 
with the moft Chriftian king.” 
One of the adts of the fefiion of 1787, provided for the 
eftablifhmeut of a court of judicature in New South 
Wales, a part of the great iflai d, we may fay continent, 
of New Holland. The prifonsin England, being inconve¬ 
niently crowded, the idea of a diftant removal, combined 
with the hope of colonial advantage, had occafioned the 
refolution of fending convidts to the country bordering oh 
Botany Bay, of which captain Cook had made favourable 
mention. About eight hundred delinquents, of which 
number three fourths were males, were fent out under 
the care of captain Philip, who w’as cotnmittioned to adt 
as governor of the future colony. The duration of the 
voyage was above eleven months ; and, when the fleet 
had reached the bay, the fcarcity of freffi water rendered 
it expedient to feek another fpot. Port Jackfon, being 
found more eligible, became the primary feat of the 
criminal exiles. The neceffary rigour of the colonial go¬ 
vernment operated to the repreffion of crimes, ancl the 
prefervation of general order ; and in many of the convidts 
a fenfe of fname had an extraordinaryeffedt, which feem- 
ed to augur future profperity and fuccefs. 
The parliament again aflembledon the 27th of Novem¬ 
ber; and in the early part of the feffion Mr. Haftings de¬ 
livered in his anfwer to the impeachment of the commons, 
who immediately proceeded to the appointment of a com¬ 
mittee of managers. The trial commenced on the 13th 
of February, 1788 ; Weftminfter-hall being fitted up for 
the purpofe with great magnificence. Mr. Burke was no 
lefs than four days in making his preliminary fpeech, 
which was filled with vehement invedtive, with much 
rhetorical exaggeration, and with matter wholly extra¬ 
neous to the iubjedt. Men of plain fenfe, whofe objedt 
was truth, and who delired only a clear and Ample lum- 
mary of fadts, (ighed over thefe eccentricities, and augur¬ 
ed ill of the procedure from fo injudicious an outfet. 
On the 22d of February, the Benares charge was opened 
by Mr. Fox ; and it was concluded on the 25th by Mr- 
Grey. On the 15th of April, the charge relative to the 
begums of Oude was brought forward by Mr. Adam ; 
and the evidence on this charge was fummed up by Mr. 
Sheridan, in a fpeech which lafted five days., and of which 
the more vigorous compieffion only was wanting to the 
perfedtion of eloquence. The king put an end to the 
iellion, July 11., 1 788, by a fpeech from the throne, in 
which 
