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LETTER CCCXCIV.

Feb. 3, 1783.

THOUGH I begin my letter on this 3rd, I do not know whether it will embark for some days. I hate to send you maimed accounts, which instead of informing can only perplex you. Every thing you wish to know is in an embryo state. You may wonder, as General Murray's sentence is public, that I have not transmitted it to you; the newspapers have: yet it is far from an affair concluded. The sentence was a strange one; yet I imagine, calculated to prevent very desperate consequences between a madman and a very hot-headed one. Of twenty-nine charges they pronounced twenty-seven trifling; and on the two others, that seem not very grave, reprimanded Murray; and then ordered the accuser and accusee to make mutual apologies to each other. Draper, though the greater Bedlamite, obeyed: Murray would not utter all that was enjoined, and was put under arrest. It seems that Draper had during the siege used, even in writing, most harsh expressions to his commander. Pains are taking to molify the latter, and reconcile him to submission-there I must leave their history till I know how it ends.

I can tell you nothing more definite about the Peace. The ratification of the preliminaries is expected, they say, this week. Scarcely any thing has been said on the subject yet in Parliament; but as the articles since published, seem to give much offence, it is not probable that the House of Commons should become the Temple of Silence on this occasion. You will not expect me, who know nothing of trade, &c., to specify the supposed grievances. I am content with peace in the lump: I did not suppose that the loss of America and Minorca, &c., would improve our commerce or glory; nor do I wonder that they who threw them away had rather blame any body than themselves.

The papers will tell you of a little disturbance at Portsmouth, where a Scotch regimen, destined for the East Indies, mutinied, claiming a promise of being disbanded at the peace. They almost murdered their Colonel, but have been quieted, on assurance that none shall go involuntarily.* A second regiment caught the spirit,

*On the 23rd of January, a scene of great confusion took place at Portsmouth. The Highland, or seventy-seventh regiment, quartered in the town, were ordered to be ready to embark for the East Indies on the next morning. In obedience to the order, they assembled on the parade, but with a determination not to comply with the order, alleging as a reason, that the arrears due to them were not paid, and that they were enlisted on the express condition that they should serve only for three years, or during the American war; and as they conceived those conditions were fulfilled, and that they were now intended for the East India service, where none of their officers were going, they declared they would stand by each other to the last. The Colonel was not present; but, on the Lieutenant-Colonel and the other officers insisting that they should embark, the soldiers violently assaulted the LieutenantColonel and several others, who narrowly escaped with their lives. After which VOL. II.-24

but were more easily pacified. Would not one think that our Nabobs have drained the Indies, when men would rather go back to Scotland than to mines of gold and diamonds?

Lord Mountstewart will be no longer your neighbour; he goes to Madrid, and Lord Carmarthen to Paris. I have not heard who is to come from the latter-I mean as ambassador: a multitude of individuals are expected, and above the rest the Duc de Chartres.

I have not yet heard any thing of your nephew, but by accident, that he will come to town for the sake of his daughters. His absence is inconvenient to me, or rather to you; as he might tell you perhaps twenty things that escape me, who have totally quitted public places, and go but to a very few private houses. However, you lose little worth knowing. Our newspapers are grown such minute registers of every thing that happens, and still more of every thing that is said to have happened, that you would easily perceive if I omitted any thing of consequence. I do little more than confirm the rare truths by mentioning them. The swarms of daily lies die every evening. There is another character due to our papers; if they do get hold of truth, they are sure of overlaying it by blunders; scarcely ever do they state any event in accurate terms or faithful narratives, unless when there are any melancholy circumstances that had better be suppressed. Those they detail minutely, to the great satisfaction. of a malignant public, and to the grief of the families concerned : reason sufficient, one should think, for every body to discourage such vehicles of ill-nature. A pretty woman that makes, or is supposed to have made, a slip, is hunted down as inveterately as a Prime Minister used to be--I do not mean that the latter escapes the better for having every body associated with him. Our newspapers, like German princes, hunt all kinds of game at once-boars, wolves, foxes, hares, rabbits; a mouse would not have quarter if it came in their way. Adieu for the present!

Sunday, 9th.

But this morning I have heard the termination of General Murray's affair. He wanted to resign his regiment rather than submit, though he had been ruined by it; having three children, and his wife big with a fourth, for whom he begged a pension of three hundred a-year. The King excused him the reprimand on the two charges; and General Murray has laboured with so much zeal and good-nature, that at last he prevailed on him and the court-martial to let him alter one word of the apology. This is a bigger detail than I should have studied but to satisfy you. My letter will now set out on Tuesday; from you it is long since I had one.

they broke open the store-house and supplied themselves with several rounds of pow der and ball. They next fired on a party of the invalids, who were ordered out to protect the guard-house, and killed one man and wounded two. Upon a promise from the Mayor that they should not be embarked until further orders had been received, they returned to their quarters in the evening; and on the following morning they were assured, that their embarkation should not be insisted on.-ED.

Monday, 10th.

The ratification of the Preliminaries by France is come, and that of Spain is expected in a week. This day sevennight is to be the great combat in both Houses; at least, warm opposition is talked of: but such rumours are far from being always verified. For this last week there has been talk of changes; yet only one has happened, the resignation of Lord Carlisle, who, it is said, disapproves the sacrifice of the Loyalists. Others think he is more discontent at not going Ambassador to Paris. I should not think these reports worth mentioning, but that the newspapers have been full of them, though they certainly know nothing of the matter. Neither the old Ministry, nor the fragment of the last, have yet spoken out; and, therefore, the public can form no judgment what will happen.* The capital point, the Peace, is attained. Factions there will always be; the world cannot stand stockstill. War is a tragedy; other politics but a farce. It is plain mankind think so; for, however occupied the persons concerned are by what they are interested in, how little do people dwell upon what is passed, unless it has come to blows! How often, when in Parliament, did I hear questions called "the most important that had ever come before the House," which a twelvemonth after no mortal remembered! Adieu!

*The preliminary articles of peace with France and Spain were signed at Paris on the 20th of January, and on the 27th, copies of them and of the provisional articles with America were laid before both Houses; and the 17th of February was fixed upon as the day for taking them into consideration. "As the time approached for discussing them," says Bishop Tomline, "it was obvious to every one, that the continuance of Ministers in office must depend upon the opinion which Parliament might express respecting the terms of the Peace; and the general expectation was fixed upon the part which the two leaders, Lord North, and Mr. Fox, would take upon that question. Lord North was fully aware of Mr. Pitt's positive determination to have no political connexion with him; and he could not but know, that a perfectly good understanding subsisted between Lord Shelburne and Mr. Pitt: he must therefore have been convinced, that any union between himself and the present Ministers, was utterly impracticable. Mr. Fox, on his part, had resolved not to take office while Lord Shelburne was First Lord of the Treasury. Under these circumstances, Lord North and Mr. Fox had a common interest in the removal of Ministers; and the present appeared a favourable opportunity for effecting that purpose. Their sentiments were sounded by common friends, through whose intervention they pledged themselves to each other, to oppose any motion that might be made for approving the terms of the Peace. Nothing further was settled between them at this time. Future measures were to depend upon the result of their first co-operation." Life of Pitt, vol. i. p. 106. The following notices, with reference to the approaching debate on the treaties, are from Mr. Wilberforce's Diary: "Sat. Feb. 15th. Dined at Tommy Townshend's. Pitt asked me at night to second the Address. Bed at twelve, and sleep disturbed at the thought of a full House of Commons. 16th. Dined at home, then called at Pitt's. Went to hear Address read at Tommy Townshend's. 17th. Walked down morning to House to get Milner into gallery. Seconded the Address. Lost the motion by sixteen. Did not leave House till about eight in the morning." Mr. Wilberforce's biographers add, that, when he came down to the House to second the Address, he inquired of Mr. Bankes," Are the intentions of Lord North and Fox sufficiently known to be con. demned ?" 66 Yes," was the reply; "and the more strongly the better." Life, vol. i. p. 25.-ED.

P. S. The King has instituted a new order of knighthood in Ireland. There are to be sixteen, and they are to wear a watered light blue riband.*

LETTER CCCXCV.

Berkeley Square, Feb. 18, 1783.

I HINTED to you that the Peace was not popular-you must make a prodigious stride from that warning: you must extend your idea to the brink of the precipice, and conceive-not that the peace is to be broken e'er consummate, but that it has already over-turned the peace-maker! It is not eleven o'clock of Tuesday morning, and the House of Commons,t that sat yesterday on the preliminaries, has

The Order of St. Patrick was instituted by the King on the 5th of February, and consisted of the Sovereign, a Grand Master, and twenty-two Knights; the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for the time being the Grand Master. Hardy, in his Memoirs of Lord Charlemont, says, that, as this measure immediately followed the establishment of the independence of Ireland, it was extremely gratifying. Earl Temple, then Lord Lieutenant, in announcing to Lord Charlemont the institution of the Order, and requesting permission to put his Lordship's name upon the list, added, "that he proposed it with the greater satisfaction, as the motto of the Order, Quis separabit, would tend to enforce that explained, constitutional, and solid Union between the two kingdoms, so necessary to both, and which Lord Charlemont had so long laboured to Cotablish upon the surest foundation-that of mutual confidence and affection." With reference to the institution of this Order, Horace Walpole, in a letter to Lord Charlemont, written in 1785, threw out the following sugges tion: "When the Order was instituted, I had a mind to hint to your Lordship, that it was exactly the moment for seizing an opportunity that has been lost to this country. When I was at Paris, I found in the Convent of Les Grands Augustins three vast chambers filled with the portraits (and their names and titles beneath) of all the Knights of the St. Esprit, from the foundation of the Order. Every new Knight, with few exceptions, gives his own portrait on his creation. Of the Order of St. Patrick I think but one member is dead yet, and his portrait perhaps may be retrieved. I will not make any apology to so good a patriot as your Lordship, for proposing a plan that tends to the honour of his country; which I will presume to call mine too, as it is, both by union and my affection for it.'-Ed.

The 17th of February having been fixed on for taking the treaties into considera. tion, Mr. Thomas Pitt moved an address of approbation to his Majesty. As soon as it had been seconded by Mr. Wilberforce, Lord John Cavendish rose and said, that although there appeared some grounds of objection to the terms of the Peace, the House was not at present competent to decide, whether, upon the whole, they deserved approbation or disapprobation, especially as the treaty with Holland was not concluded; he should, therefore, move, that the whole of the proposed address, after the words," to assure his Majesty that," should be omitted, and the following words substituted," his faithful Commons will proceed to consider the same with that serious and full attention which a subject of such importance to the present and future interests of his Majesty's dominions deserves: that in the mean time they en. tertain the fullest confidence in his Majesty's paternal care, that he will concert with his Parliament such measures as may be expedient for extending the commerce of his Majesty's subjects: that, whatever may be the sentiments of his faithful Commons on the investigation of the terms of pacification, they beg leave to assure his Majesty of their firm and unalterable resolution to adhere invariably to the several articles, for which the public faith is pledged, and to maintain the

not been up three hours, after-in short, after carrying a question against Lord Shelburne, by 224 to 208. He was scarcely less beaten. in the other House; where, even with the support of the Household troops, the Bishops, and the Scotch, he had but 69 votes to 55.*

Particulars of this Revolution, which it must be, I do not pretend to tell you. The question moved by the Opposition I barely heard last night at the card-table at Princess Amelie's, who received a note from Lord Duncannon. It was a temperate but very artful one; declared against infringing the treaty, though announcing that the House would consider the terms. This is all I know: both Houses are but just gone to bed; and even the newspapers, who have been sitting up gaping for intelligence all night, have not gotton on their clean shirts yet.

Now will you be-and so by this time is every body else eager to know what will be next. That is precisely what I neither know nor guess; in which last point, no doubt, I differ from most people: but you know I always forbid myself conjectures; I have little opinion of my own penetration-nay, nor of any one's. I have a rule about penetration, which may be paradoxical, and yet I think there is good sense in it: it is this. How would a wise man calculate what is to happen? Why, he must state to himself appearances and causes, and then conclude that they would produce the natural consequences. Now, it is a thousand to one that some foolish circumstance or other interferes, influences some very unforeseen event, and destroys all his fine ratiocination: in short, some mistress, wife, servant, favourite,

blessings of peace, so necessary to his Majesty's subjects and the general happinessof mankind." Lord North declared his intention to vote for the amendment, but proposed the following addition: "and his Majesty's faithful Commons feel that it would be superfluous to express to his Majesty the regard due from the nation to every description of men, who, with the risk of their lives and sacrifice of their properties, have distinguished their loyalty and fidelity during a long and calamitous. war." The nature of the amendments showed that those who aimed at the removal of Ministers did not venture to propose at once a direct censure of the Peace. It was remarked, that Lord North and Mr. Fox studiously abstained from any reflections upon each other. The Coalition, avowed by Mr. Fox, was not only defended with the boldness and decision that marked his character; but he retorted on Mr. Dundas all the acrimonious expressions which fell from the latter, upon the sudden union of two such inveterate opponents. The division did not take place till half-past seven in the morning, when the amendment was carried by a majority of sixteen; the numbers being 224 and 203. The Address, thus amended, was voted unanimously, and presented to the King on the 19th.-ED.

*The debate in the House of Lords continued till half past four in the morning. One hundred and forty-five peers were present; a greater number than had been known on any question since the King's accession. In reference to this debate, Hannah More, in one of her letters, says, "I thought the Peace was to put an end to all divisions and disturbances; but I think I never knew the town in such a state of anxiety and distraction. The disputes are not about peace or war, but who shall have power and place; both of which are lost as soon as obtained. Before you can pay your congratulations to your friends on their promotion, presto! pass !; they are out again. Lord Falmouth told me he sat down with a most eager appe tite to his soup and roast at eight in the morning, and several of the Lords had. company to dinner at that hour, after the House broke up."-ED.

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