TABLE OF PAGES.

TABLE

AS each history may be considered individually or as it makes a part
of the general system, this Table of Pages is given to enable a person
who is reading any particular history either to pass on readily from
year to year in it, or easily to refer to other histories with which it
may be in any manner connected.

GREAT BRITAIN.

1797.

WHILST our fleets were adding continually to the national renown by
their achievements, the aspect of public affairs afforded nothing to
cheer the minds of the people. On the contrary, the ill success of our
negotiations seemed to preclude a hope of terminating the present most de-
structive and expensive war with honour and advantage. The parliamentary
proceedings of the late year were closed with a message from his majesty,
informing the two houses of the abrupt termination of lord Malmsbury's
negotiations at Paris; imputing it to the French government's obstinate
adherence to a claim which never could be admitted; and declaring
"that,
"whenever his enemies should be disposed to enter on the work of general
pacification, nothing should be wanting on his part to contribute to the
"accomplishment of that great object which was retarded by their exor-
"bitant pretensions only."

Conformably with this declaration, at the same time that the British government continued to stimulate its remaining allies to a vigorous co-operation with it in promoting their common interests and that of all Europe, by a firm resistance to a power which threatened destruction to their independency, it neglected no opportunity to bring about a peace,

VOL. IV.

B

or,

1797

1797

or, at least, to deprive our enemies of the advantage which they would derive from our apparent disinclination to pacific councils. The success of France, and the principles on which the members of the confederacy had been seen to act, rendered this line of conduct daily more necessary. The British cabinet being impressed with this persuasion, lord Grenville, within six months after the negotiation at Paris had been broken off, † made overtures for a renewal of them by a note to monsieur de la Croix, the French minister for foreign affairs. The assent given to this overture was accompanied with a proposition to treat definitively with Great Britain, without adverting to the general interests of Europe. This had been the policy by which France had succeeded in drawing the members of the coalition off from the common cause in which they were embarked. It was contrary to the principles on which Great Britain had hitherto acted. But, that no obstruction might arise hence, no refusal was given to the requisition; but the eventual compliance with it was to depend on the progress and turn of the negotiations."

The way being thus smoothed, lord Malmsbury met the French ministers, le Tourneur, Maret, and Pleville, at Lisle, in the month of july. ‡→ Before these ministers would enter upon the main business of the congress, they brought forward certain insulated points, as they were denominated, as preliminaries to a treaty. The first of these was, that the king of Great Britain should, in order to a full recognition of the French republic, henceforward desist from assuming the title of king of France.-Another, was the restitution of the ships taken by the English at Toulon, or an equivalent for them and those which had been destroyed. A third was a renunciation, on the part of Great Britain, of all the mortgages which it had upon the Netherlands in consequence of money lent to the emperor. The difficulties arising from, these requisitions being in some measure removed by the French ministers, the conferences were opened. But it was clearly evinced, by a requisition made in the progress of them, that the French government was determined not to conclude the treaty, unless it could, as in other instances, imperiously prescribe the terms-that was" that Great Britain should restore, to the French republic and its allies,

"all the possessions which have passed into the hands of the English 1797 since the beginning of the war." It appearing from lord Malmsbury's answer, that he was attthorized to treat on no other principle than that of reciprocal compensation, he was required to depart in twenty-four hours.

Some circumstances, relative to our internal affairs, contributed to the depression which the nation was seen to suffer from the disappointment of the faint hopes of peace which these repeated negotiations had afforded

them.

Ireland had, as we have seen, been saved from an invasion by the disasters which had befallen the enemy's fleet. But this was only a negative good to balance many positive evils.-Great Britain had borne the most tremendous storms of foreign war: it had combated all the misfortunes attending the revolt of her colonies and the final loss of them. But never had the British kingdoms been enveloped with such dark clouds of adversity as at the present crisis. Ireland was in a state bordering on rebellion. And, at the same time, to the other calamities adhérent on war, to the danger which threatened us from an inveterate foe, breathing the most rancorous malice, and increasing continually in strength from the desertion of our weak or perfidious allies, was now added the embarrassment arising from an extreme want of specie, occasioned chiefly by the large remittances to our allies. The alarm excited by the threatened invasion increasing the evil, a violent run was first made on the country banks. The effects of this soon extended to the metropolis: and very serious apprehensions began to be entertained for the bank of England, which had distressed itself by its advances of specie to the state. To avert its impending fate, which must have been attended with the most disastrous consequences, an order was issued by the privy council,† prohibiting the directors of the bank from issuing any cash in payment "till the sense of parliament should be taken on that subject, and proper measures taken thereupon for maintaining the means of circulation " and supporting the public commercial credit of the kingdom at this important conjuncture."- For the purpose of the desired investiga

September 16.

+ February 26.

tions,

Annual Register. 180.