1790-] 
8th of December: “ That fuch an order 
of things had taken place in France, as 
would induce his Majefty to meet any 
difpofition to negociation on the part of 
the enemy, with an earneft defire to give 
it the fulleft and fpeedieft effect, and to 
conclude a treaty of general peace, when- 
ever it might be cffeéted on juft and fuit- 
able terms for himfelf and his allies.” 
The good effeéts of this declaration were 
unfortunately confined to loan-jobbers 
and monied fpeculators. To the furprife 
of every intelligent perfon, three months 
were permitted to elapfe without any 
attempt to open a negociation, while an 
immenfe expenditure was going forward 
in preparations for the renewal of hof- 
tilities. The tardinefs of minifters in 
commencing a negociation, and the mode 
and form in which they at length com- 
menced it, on the 8th of March, through 
the very queftionable medium of an un- 
authorized minifter, has impeached their 
fincerity in the eyes of Europe. During 
the period of fufpence between peace 
and war, the houfe of commons were 
laudibly engaged in providing proper 
means for remedying the grievances 
arifing from the exceflive fcarcity and 
dearnefs of corn ; and, after feveral re- 
folutions, reports, and debates, upon the 
fubjeét, an aét was pafled, granting a 
bounty on corn imported in Britith fhips, 
or in fhips in amity with England. 
New loans, new fubfidies, increafing 
taxes, anda national debt of more than 
three hundred and fixty millions, and a 
war ftill raging, roufed the attention of 
feveral patriotic members of the late par- 
liament, in their laft fefion, to inquire 
into the ftate of the finances of the na- 
tion. 
Mr. Grey, on the 1oth of March, in 
his motion relative to an enquiry into 
the ftate of the nation, drew a true, but 
an alarming picture of the national debt. 
Our expences in the three firft years of 
the prefent war had amounted to the fum 
of feventy-feven millions, a fum greater 
than the whole of the national debt pre- 
vious tothe year 1756. Upwardsof feven- 
teen millions had been voted for the army 
in the laft three years ; yet the excefs be- 
yond the expenditure had amounted in 
that time to 14,000,e00!. All this was 
money expended not only without the 
confent, but even without the knowledge 
of parliament. 
On the fubject of Barracks, it was re- 
marked in the houfe, that the proceed- 
ings of minifters were an infult on par- 
liament, becaufe the confent of that 
MontTHiy Mae. No. Y. 
Great Britain. 
417 
branch of the government, to the erec- 
tion of barracks, had never been re- 
quired. This bufinefs had coft the ma- 
tion 1,100,000]. and, according to the 
accounts then before the commons, for the 
firft time, 200,oco0l. more were wanted. 
After giving an accurate flatemeat of the 
finances, the eloquent mover deduced 
this gloomy inference: that if a peace 
were immediately to take place, the peo- 
ple of this nation muft ftill bear, their 
prefent burdens with a7 additional lord 
of two millions and a half of fiesh taxes. 
In the month of April, there appeared 
two new political phenomena in the 
houfe of commons—a fecond budget, and 
a fecond loan, in the fame’feifion. The 
new taxes propofed in the minifter’s {e- 
cond budget, were upon dogs, hats, and 
201. additional duty per ton on wine. 
The new loan was feven millions and a 
half, the contraétors for which had agreed 
upon a bonus, amounting to 31. 6s. od. 
Mr. Pirr amufed the houfe witha 
fafcinating account of the fusure benehits 
arifing from the fivking fund, and affured 
them, that in fifty-two years this mira- 
culous fcheme would totally annihilate 
the national debt ! 
This parliament, elected about Mid- 
{ummer 1790, was diffolved on the 20th _ 
of May, by royal proclamation, and 
writs forthe eleétion of a new pariia- 
ment were immediately iffued, to be re- 
turnable on the 12th of July next. Whe- 
ther future hiftorians will attribute 
the unfortunate meafures taken by the 
late houfe of. commons, to their ig- 
forance | ore ther corruption, 1s) mes 
for us to determine; but it muff, at least, 
afford fome fleeting coniclation to ‘that: 
part of them whothink, with Mr. Reeves, 
that the throne is the trunk of the con- 
ftitutional tree, the fole fource of power 
and authority in the Britith conftitution, 
that their fovereign affured them he 
fhould “ ever refleét with heartfelt farif- 
faétion on the uniform zi/dom, temper, 
and firmne{s which appeared in a// their 
proceedings fince he firft met them in 
parliament, at a period of domeftic and 
foreign franquillity.”’ 
From the prefent critical fituation of 
public affairs in England, it. may be ra- 
tionally inferred, that the falvation of the 
kingdom depends upoa the meatures to 
be adopted by the parliament which has 
been recently eleéted. 
We with our limits would admit of 
a regular account, infead of a hafty 
fkerch, of the proceedings on the iate 
general election. 
3H However 
