hodied ; on the other, the reciprocal in- 
terchange of Ambaffadors between Great 
Britain and France feems to indicate an 
amicable underitanding. General Andre- 
eff, the new Ambailador, arrived from 
France on the 6th inflant, and was pre- 
fented at Court on the 17th, where he was 
received not only with diftinction, but 
with cordiality. On the oth, Lord Whit- 
worth fet off on his embafly to Paris, 
where, we learn, he has fince fafely arrived. 
On the 16th, the Imperial Parliament 
affembled. The Commons, after appear- 
ing at the bar of the Houle of Lords, 
when the feffion was cpened by. commil- 
fion, proceeded to the choice of a Speaker. 
Mr. Abbot was unanimoufly ele&ted, and 
prefented the following day for his Ma- 
jefty’s approbation. The Houfes then ad- 
journed, when it was underflood that the 
Sefiion would be opened on the 24th for 
the difpatch of bufinefs, by his Majefty in 
perfon. 
A confpiracy of a very extraordinary 
nature has been difcovered, which had for 
its object, it is faid, the life of his Majefty, 
and the effecting of a revolution in the 
State. For fome days previous, rumours 
had been afloat refpecting the Correfpond- 
ing Society recommencing its operations ; 
and the nature of the confpiracy was a 
few days fince revealed by a foldier of the 
Guards to Sir Richard Ford, by which it 
appeared that the principal in the bufinefs 
was Colonel Defpard, who had lately been 
coniined in the Cold-bath Fields Prifon. 
In confequence of this information, a 
firong party of the police-officers proceed- 
ed on the 16th, at night, to the Oakley- 
arms, an obfcure puclic-houle, in Oakley- 
rect, Lambeth, where they found the 
Colonel, and about thirty-two labouring- 
men and foldiers, whom they immediately 
took into cuftody. Inthe rcom where they 
were affembled, the printed form of an 
oath was found, which was of the nature 
of that in ufeamong the United Irifhmen. 
The prifoners were firit examined before 
Sir R: Ford, and atterwards by the Privy 
Council, when feven were committed to 
the New Prifon Clerkenwell, | twenty- 
threeto Tothill Fields Budlewdll: and the 
Colonei himf:If to Newgate. 
Had this circumftance taken place un- 
der the late contemptible Adminittration, 
wlio exifted only by the miferable artifice 
of keeping up an alarm, and forging plots 
and confpivacies, we fhould have confider- 
ed it of the fame complexion with the reft, 
and have treated it with contempt. The 
honourable and upright charaCter of the 
prefent Miniftry forbids us to harbour any 
State of Public Afairs in November, 1802. 
[Dec, 2, 
fufpicion of this kind ; and an additional 
proof is, that the prifoners are not fent, 
under the fufpenfion of the Habeas Cor- 
pus, to folitary dungeons, for an unlimited 
time, but are fairly and openly comitted 
Jor trial, which we have under{tood is im- 
mediately to’ take place. Every weal 
friend to liberty muft rejoice in the difco- 
very of fo infamous a confpiracy, calcu-~ 
lated, if fuccefsful (of which, indeed, 
these was little or no chance,) to plunge 
us isto anarchy; if otherwile, to afford 
pretexts for the exercife of defpotic autho- 
rity. 
The nature of the confpiracy alfo muft 
abate much of the apprehenfions which 
the friends of conftitutional liberty mult 
otherwife feel. We have long fulpected 
that the intellects of the unfortunate 
Officer, who was at the head of this bufi- 
nefs, were in an unfound ftate; atid it 
appears that there were aflociated with him 
only a few of the meanett aud moft iguo- 
rant of the populace, who probably were 
uncon{fcious of what they were engaging 
in; or, if otherwile, were in the moft ab- 
ject and defperate fituations. 
We have always afhirmed, even at the 
crifis when the alarm was loudeft, that the 
great mals of the peo; were fexnd and 
loyal. A Gentleman, to whom we are 
difpofed to give credit for good inten- 
tions, has publifhed a pamphlet on the 
Jate elections, which he deems demonfira- 
tive of the progrefs of Jacobinifm. If the 
word Jacobinifm is applied (as by the 
confeflion of Mr. Wilberforce it has been 
too freely) to defignate thofe who fupport 
and cherifh the general principles of civil 
and religious liberty, we boldly fay, God 
forbid that Jacobinifm fhould evar be out 
of fafhion in this country! If, on the 
contrary, by Jacobinifm be meant the in- 
dulgence of private licentioufnefs, rapa- 
city, vice, and malignity, under the mafk 
of public virtue—if by Jacobinifm be 
meant a vigour beyond the law, and which 
fets all Jaw (that is, according to Arif- 
totle, all juft government,) at defiance ; 
then the learned Gentleman could not la- 
ment more fincerely than we fhould the 
progrefs of Jacobinifm. But here, as in 
moft cther cafes, extremes meet. Jaco- 
binifm, under Marat, Robefpierre, &c.&c. 
was the worlt form of tyranay: but this 
can never apply to Englifhmen, in the free 
exercife of their conftitutional rights and 
privileges : the more they exercife them, 
the more will they be enamoured of them ; 
nor will they be dif; ofed to exchange them 
for vifionary novelties or experiments in 
government, 
INCI< 
