native forces employed in operations in the enemy's territory may lead to a speedy and satisfactory termination of the contest. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons, "We have it in command from his Majesty to thank you for the Supplies which you have granted to him for the service of the present year, and at the same time to express the satisfaction which he derives from the reduction you have found it practicable to make in the burthens of his people. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "His Majesty has commanded us to assure you, that he is highly sensible of the advantages which must result from the measures you have adopted in the course of this session, for extending the commerce of his subjects by the removal of unnecessary and inconvenient restrictions, and from the beneficial relaxations which you have deemed it expedient to introduce into the colonial system of this country. "These measures, his Majesty is persuaded, will evince to his subjects in those distant possessions, the solicitude with which Parliament watches over their welfare: they tend to cement and consolidate the interests of the colonies with those of the mother country, and his Majesty confidently trusts that they will contribute to promote that general and increasing prosperity, on which his Majesty had the happiness of congratulating you on the opening of the present Session, and which, by the blessing of Providence, continues to pervade every part of his kingdom." The Lord Chancellor then prorogued the Parliament to the 25th of August. In the autumn, the attention of ministers was drawn, in conse quence of the remonstrances of the Turkish government, to the conduct which was pursued here in relation to assisting the Greeks against their oppressors: and on the 30th of September, a proclamation was published, enforcing the provisions of the foreign-enlistment act. This proclamation, after reciting the king's declaration of neutrality in the contest between the Porte and the Greeks, and suggesting that, if British subjects contravened such declarations, not only might our sincerity be reasonably questioned, but peaceable and unoffending subjects in foreign parts might be exposed to unavoidable violence by way of retaliation for acts in which they had no share, it went on to state, that intelligence had been received by government, that attempts were making to induce certain of his majesty's subjects to fit out ships of war, and to serve in them under the flag of Greece, for the capture and spoliation of Turkish property. It then pointed out the direct contradiction of such proceedings to the provisions of the foreign-enlistment bill; and concluded by strictly commanding that no person whatever should take part in the hostilities referred to, under pain of incurring the penalties imposed by the statute. It was accompanied by an order in council, which, after reciting the 27th of Geo. 2nd, forbade the exportation of cannon, mortars, shot, or shells of any description, during the six months from the date of the order. Early in the year the public securities showed a tendency to fall; and the shares of the different Joint-stock companies had declined from the extravagant prices which they had attained. After the close of the session, the state of the money-market became still more critical: and almost every species of property fell in price. The large sums which had been invested in foreign loans and in distant or fantastic speculations, brought back no return: capital obtained upon credit, had been forced into every branch of commerce, and pushed far beyond the limits of immediate demand: the imports of cotton, wine, silk, &c., increased so suddenly, and so far beyond their usual amount, that the rates of exchange began to turn against the country; and the Bank of England diminished its issues and its discounts. In the meantime, the demand for further funds to supply the place of those which had been invested in a mode altogether unavailable, for present purposes at least, became gradually more urgent; but in proportion as it grew pressing, suspicion began to arise and commercial confidence to to be shaken. The merchants looked forward to their bankers; but bankers had been induced, by the abundance of money and the low rate of interest, in the end of 1824, and the beginning of the present year, to lay out their funds in discounting bills of unusually long dates, and upon other securites which could not be realized quickly. They therefore were unable to lend the help that was wanted; and several important commercial failures took place. The dissoon reached the bankers themselves. Some considerable banking houses in the country stopped payment: apprehensions sprung up with respect to the stability of the London bankers; and all classes of persons hastened to draw out their balances. This naturally produced one or two failures, and these failures redoubled the alarm. In the beginning of December, these embarrass tress ments were at their height; and for some days the agitation in the City exceeded every thing of the kind that had been witnessed for many years. Lombard-street was nearly filled with persons hastening to the different banks to draw money, or waiting in anxious fear of hearing of new failures. The shock given to public credit by the stoppage of the banking house of sir Peter Pole and Co. on the 5th of December, was tremendous: as it was known that they kept accounts with forty-four country banks, several of whom, in all probability, would also stop payment. The funds immediately fell; on the 6th of the same month the public distress was increased by the failure of the banking house of Williams and Co and immediately afterwards, by the failure of the firms of Everett, Walker, and Co. and of Sikes, Snaith, and Co. both of Mansion-house-street. The reaction of these insolvencies upon the country banks, was necessarily great. * All the usual channels of credit were stopped; and the cir * The following is a list of the prin- Chertsey, La Coste and Co. resumed. culation of the country was com- Evesham, Hartland and Co. Huddersfield, Dobson and Co. gazetted. Ditto, Sikes and Co. Ditto, Stirling and Co. Ditto, Williams and Co. resumed. Melksham, Moule and Co. Ripon, Charnock and Co. Southampton, Kellow and Co. resumed. Swaffham, Day and Co. Swansea, Gibbons and Co. Wellingborough, Morton and Co. gaz. Whitehaven, Johnston and Co. Wimborne, Dean and Co. circulation. Accordingly, on the 16th of December, that measure was carried into effect. An order was also issued to the officers of the Mint to expedite, with the utmost despatch, an extraordinary coinage of sovereigns; and for one week about one hundred and fifty thousand sovereigns were coined per day. The circumstance of the price of bullion being lower than the Mint price was favourable to these operations. Rumours were spread that the government had resolved to suspend cash payments: but this report turned out to be a delusion. In the mean time, meetings were held in London and in most of the trading towns, in which resolutions were adopted for the support of commercial credit; and these had, undoubtedly, considerable effect in checking the increase of the panic, and restoring some degree of mutual confidence. Thus wonderful was the contrast between the commencement and the close of the present year. In our foreign possessions the only transactions of interest during the present year occurred in our Eastern empire. The hostilities against the Burmese were prosecuted actively, and, in their details, successfully, but without producing any great general result. The successes which the troops under sir Archibald Campbell had gained towards the end of the preceding year, prevented him from being molested at Rangoon. The only military operations which took place in that quarter in the month of January, were some unimportant skirmishes. The principal of these was an attack upon the fort of Syriam. The detachment, which had been selected for this service, consisting of two hundred soldiers of the 47th regiment, and a few seamen and marines, left Rangoon on the morning of the 11th; and in the course of a few hours, came before the fort, and the bridge over the Nullah leading to it. The landing place having been broken down, some delay was occasioned in repairing it, during which the enemy, from behind the works, kept up a smart and welldirected fire on the head of the column. This caused some loss; but no sooner were the troops able to cross, than they rushed on, and gallantly carried the place by storm. They afterwards went on to the Syriam Pagoda; the enemy who occupied it, when they saw the British troops rush on to the assault, fled, after the discharge of one volley. At the same time, sir Archibald Campbell, by the observance of the strictest discipline, and the punctuality of his payments for every article which was furnished to the troops, endeavoured to inspire the people with confidence, so as to induce them to return to their homes or not to depart from them. * His efforts were not unsuccessful. The following Proclamation was issued by him: Inhabitants of the Burman empire! -The English forces have come amongst you to seek redress for the cruel murders and numerous insults your arrogant court had the presumption to inflict upon, and to offer to, the subjects of the British government, in a time of profound peace. A great and generous nation, confident in its own strength, like that of the British empire in India, tried every thing possible, by mild and temperate expostulation, to make your court sensible of the enormity of its conduct, and the inevitable consequences that a perseverance in it would occasion. These remonstrances tended only to increase the insolence of the court of Ava. Recourse to arms was therefore the only measure left the English in support of their own rights and dignity. What that appeal has already produced, it is unnecessary for me to say; you all know it. The inhabitants returned to Rangoon in considerable numbers; and hopes were entertained, that the Siamese and the Peguese would avail themselves of the opportunity to free themselves from the Burmese yoke. On the 6th of February, lieut.colonel Godwin was detached to Tantabain, in order to dislodge the advanced division of the enemy from their defences on the Lyng river. This operation having been performed with complete suc cess, sir Archibald Campbell, about the middle of February, moved forward from Rangoon towards Prome. By the 22nd of February, the land column under his own immediate orders, reached Sorrawah, which was at a distance from Rangoon, by the road, of fifty The bravery of my troops has already deprived the court of Ava of its maritime provinces of Mergui, Tavoy, Yeb, Martaban, and the island of Cheduba. The desert from the rage of war. The most ancient kingdom of Pegu has become a powerful armies possible for your court to get together have been sent against us; we have dispersed them like chaff. strictest discipline, and the puncSince the arrival of my force at Rangoon, in the month of May last, we have at different periods taken from you more than 700 pieces of artillery, and small arms too numerous to be counted, and your loss in lives has been, as you all know, most enormous; and with you, on that account I lament the tears of aged parents, sisters, widows, and innocent children. All this has been endured merely to support the folly and obstinacy of your court, to whom our peaceable desires have been made known. Yet it still abstains from offering any reparation for the wanton cuelties and unprovoked injuries I have already mentioned. It only, therefore, remains for me to carry the victorious English arms, not only to your capital, but to the remotest parts of your kingdom, till your court is brought to a proper sense of that justice, honour, and policy, due from one neighbouring state to another. Having thus briefly explained the cause of our coming in arms amongst miles, without having met the slightest opposition, although a strong division of the enemy, under Maha Silwah, waited his approach at the old Talian fort at Mophie, until he had actually made his disposition for attack, when it broke and dispersed into a close jungle in the rear. The Carian inhabitants of the country, through which we passed, viewed the expulsion of the Burmese with much satisfaction, and received our troops with kindness and friendship, and lent them some assistance in road-making, and in supplying rice and buffaloes. A large force of the enemy had been left in the rear at Donabew, which general Cotton, with the column that was to advance by the Irawuddy, was to attack. Sir Archibald therefore you, you will see and fully understand that to your own king and government alone have you to attribute all the past calamities of the war, and such as may still ensue from its further progress. My most anxious desire is to alleviate those miseries towards the peaceable and innocent inhabitants, to the very utmost of my power. Show yourselves, therefore, deserving of that feeling towards you by keeping, as we advance, yourselves and your families peaceably and quietly in your houses, and you may depend upon the most inviolable protection of your persons and property. Bring to my army such articles of the produce of your farms and industry as you wish to dispose of-every thing will be paid for with the most scrupulous fidelity. I ask you not to take up arms, or any part whatever in the war; I have troops sufficient for all the objects I have in view, without any further aid. May the spirit of your forefathers direct your hearts to follow the line of conduct I have laid down for your guidance, which will ensure for you, as I have already promised, my fullest protection, and every respect to your religion and temples, &c. Given under my hand and seal at Rangoon, the first day of February, 1825. (Signed) A. CAMPBELL, B. G., &c. By order, (Signed) J. J. SNODGRASS, M. S. halted for several days at Sarrawah in the hope of receiving intelligence of the fall of Donabew. On the 16th of February, the water column under general Cotton embarked and proceeded to Pagoda Point. On the 17th, they reached Teesit, where three stockades, destroyed by brigadier-general Fraser some time before, were found rebuilt, but evacuated; they were immediately destroyed. The light division of boats from the navy, under lieutenant Smith of the Alligator, was fired upon some few miles in advance the same evening from the bank, where the enemy had a stockaded breast-work, and lost two men killed and one wounded: the boats pulled, under fire of their carronades, immediately inshore, and destroyed it. On the morning of the 18th, major Basden, commanding the advance, reconnoitred the right bank and burned another stockade which had been discerned the evening before; and the flotilla proceeded up the river. On approaching Panlang, the body of the column anchored; and general Cotton proceeded with captains Alexander and Chads, of the Royal navy, and captain Steel, assistant quartermaster-general, to reconnoitre in the front, directing the advance division to follow in support. On reaching the light division, at dusk, they found themselves in sight of one of the outward stockades of Panlang, on the left, called Youtheet. It was too late to complete a reconnoissance, but the light division were anchored immediately out of gun-shot, supported by the advance, which took a position in their rear. During the night, some formidable firerafts were launched by the enemy, but the precautionary measures which had been adopted prevented them from producing any effect. |