ror J 
the Northern Powers, and the, exifting 
fcarcity or dearnefs of provifions. Upon 
the whole he infifted the circumftances of 
the country were fuch as to require the in- 
terpofition of parliament, and to cal} im- 
perioufly upon their lordfhips to acquiefce 
in his motion, which was, for the houfe to 
refolve itfelf into a committee on the {tate 
of the nation. The Duke of Montrofe 
replied to the noble lord’s leading argu- 
ments. He infifted on their ill tendency 
in the prefent moment, which would tend 
only to create alarm, and to no poffible 
good. He alfo contended for the imprac- 
ticability at prefent of a full and effectual 
enquiry, and argued that the prefent cir- 
cumftances of the country were not fuch 
as to require it. Loyd Holland difplay- 
ed his ufaal talents in refutation of the 
noble duke, and in fupport of what 
was advanced by his noble friend. Lords 
Weltmoreland, Carlifle, Grenville, Eldon, 
and the Lord Chancellor, fpoke againft 
the motion; and Lords Moira, Fife, 
Suffolk, Carnarvon, Landfdowne, and 
Fitzwilliam, fupported it; after which the 
houfe divided, when the numbers ap- 
peared, for the committee of, enquiry, 
‘contents 25, non-contents 107. 
As it appears that there is no intention of 
renewing the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Cor- 
pus Act, which expires in a few days, in the 
prefent Seffion of Parliament, the ftate-pri- 
foners in the different goals in this kingdom 
were liberated. about the 3d of March. 
Lord Cloncurry, who has been a clofe pri- 
fener in the Tower, was brought up to the 
Duke of Portland’s Office on March the 3d, 
and admitted to bail, himfelf in 5o00ol. ‘and 
two fureties in 2000]. each. Mr. Bonham 
was difcharged at the fame time. Colonel 
Defpard refuted either to give bail or to enter 
into recognizance, and was coniecuently re- 
manded. The Binas have been fet at large 
from the prifons where they were confined. 
The improvement of his Majetty’s health 
has lately. been uninterrupted. He is now 
enabled to fuperintend, in a confiderable de- 
gree, the affairs of Government. Mr. Ad- 
dington has, fince the 11th of March, been 
honoured with feveral interviews, and, it is 
confidently aflerted, that his Majefty perfe- 
veres in the minifterial changes which he 
propofed thould take place on the eve of his 
indifpofition. 
The Gazette of the 17th of March con- 
tains the appointment of Mr. Addington to 
. the pofts of Firft Lord of the Treafury and 
Chancellor of the Excheqner; Lord Hobart, 
Secretary of State; and Mr. Charles York, 
Secretary at War. The Law Arrangements 
are not yet definitely announced. Lord St. 
Vincent and Lord Hawkefbury were inducted 
into office prior to the King’s illnefs, We 
State of Public Affairs, in March, 180% 
269 
learn alfo from the fame Gazette, that Lord 
Cornwallis has pofitively refufed to continue 
any longer in the Vicervythip of Sreland— 
he has refigned,- and Lord Hardwicke is ap- 
pointed to fucceed him. 
The French Arniy in Egypt mutt be ap- 
prifed of the menaces of Ruflia upon the Or- 
toman Empiye, and the effe&tual bar which 
the latter feels to perlevering in hoftilities _ 
againit them, if fuch a condué have not 
even produced a defire of peace on the part of 
the Grand Signor. 
GeneralAbercrombie’sArmy, it is faid, hag 
effeGted a landing-in Egypt, near Damietta, 
Or, according to other accounts, in Syria. 
The report of his having fuftained a defeat 
by the French is flightly mentioned in a let- 
ter from Conftantinople, but not deierving 
of much credit. | 
We have to announce the a&tual commence- 
ment of hoftilities againft the Swedes. The 
Dryad frigate, Captain Mansfield, on her 
paflage to the Weft Indies, fell in with a 
Swedifh frigate. Captain Mansfield, with-. ° 
ing to {pare the unneceflary effufion of blood, 
fent a boat oft to inform the Swedifh com- 
mander of the orders he had received, to 
ftop and detain all the veflels of that nation 
that he might fall in with, notifying to him 
the inevitable confequence of his not fur- 
rendering his fhip. Not receiving a fatis- 
fa€tory anfwer, a» {mart a€tion eniued, and 
the Swedith frigate has been brought into 
Cork, with the lofs of feven men killed and 
fourteen wounded. The Dryad had no men 
either killed or wounded. 
Intelligence from Yarmouth of the 12th 
of March fays, the North-fea-fleet, under 
the command of Sir Hyde Parker and Lord 
Nelfon, failed from thence on that day, but 
ftood off and on for fome time, waiting, as 
was fuppofed, for difpatches, which arrived 
in the courfe of the day by a Mefienger from 
the Admiralty, and were immediately for- 
warded to the Commander in Chief. This 
fleet confifts of feventeen fail of the line, 
three frigates, four floops, and about twenty 
bomb-veffels, gun-brigs, &c From the 
number of bomb-veflels, fire-fhips, and gun- 
brigs, by which it is accompanied, fome 
coup-de-main is no doubtin agitation. The re- 
mainder of the fleet will follow, under Rear- 
AdmiralGraves, who, on the r2th of March, 
reached the Downs from Portfmouth on his 
way to Yarmouth. 
-It is fuppofed the firft achievement of 
this Meet will be to force the paflage of the 
Sound, which, it isthought by many, will 
prove a very formidable affair. The channel, 
for fome diftance, is only three miles wide. 
On the Danith coaft the batteries are very 
numerous: report ftates them as confifting of 
not lefs than 300 pieces of heavy artillery. 
The Caftle of Cronenburg ‘Was every conve~ 
venience for firing red-hot shot, and there 
are feveral floating-batteries moored at Elfi- 
neur, On the Swediih fide, the fortifications 
of 
