The aged Emperor of China, Kien Long, after a reign of more than fifty years, died at Pekin, leaving the character of one of the best and most enlightened sovereigns of his dynasty. Some differences among the Chinese and Russians at the place where trade is carried on between the two empires had previously occasioned an interruption in that commerce on the part of China. Among the remarkable domestic incidents of this year was an attempt on his Majesty's life by a woman, who presenting a paper to him as he was alighting from his post chariot at the garden-gate of St. James's, made a stroke at his breast with a concealed knife. The blow was happily avoided by a backward movement, and as she was about to make another thrust, her hand was caught by a yeoman of the guard, and the knife taken from her, the King, with his characteristic humanity, exclaiming, "I am not hurt- take care of the poor woman-do not hurt her." On examination she was found to be one Margaret Nicholson, a person in obscure life from the North of England, whose reason was bewildered by some insane ideas of rights to the crown. Her insanity being fully apparent to the privy council, she was committed to custody as a lunatic.

370

Parliament.

A. D. 1787.

YEAR OF GEORGE III. 27 & 28.

PARLIAMENT 3 & 4.

Discussion on the Commercial Treaty with France. Question concerning the Peerage of Scotland. Plan for the Consolidation of Duties in the Customs and Excise. Motion for the Repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts, rejected. - Prince of Wales's Debts, and Addition to his Allowance. Bill for farming the Duty on Post-horses.-Proceedings relative to the Impeachment of Mr. Hastings.- Hostile preparations of England and France terminating in a Convention. Winter Session of Parliament opened: King's Speech.-Affairs in the United Provinces. Affront offered to the Princess of Orange. - Armed interference of Prussia, and Restoration of the Stadtholder. ·Disturbances in the Austrian Netherlands. Notables assembled in France. - Quarrel between the Court and Parliament of Paris.- War declared between the Ottoman Porte and Russia. Embassy from Tippoo to Constan

tinople.

AFTER an unusually long recess, parliament was opened on January 23d by a speech from the throne, the leading topics of which were the treaty of commerce lately concluded with France, and the state of the revenue. On the 5th of February, Mr. Pitt moved that the House should form itself into a committee for taking into consideration that part of his Majesty's speech which referred to the commercial treaty with France. Some motions for delay by the opposition having been negatived, the minister, on the 12th, took up the subject in a long explanation and defence of the treaty in question. As the foundation of a commercial connection between the two countries, he stated it as an allowed fact, that France had the superiority in her natural products, and Great Britain in her manufactures and artificial productions.

Upon this relative condition, a valuable intercourse of trade between the two nations might be established, each having its own distinct staple; and instead of clashing in their respective pursuits of wealth, they might resemble two opulent traders in different branches, carrying on a mutually beneficial traffic with each other. After going through a variety of particulars to show that the demand for our manufactures was likely fully to balance that for the French commodities, and that whatever reduction our revenue might undergo from the diminution of duties on some articles, would be compensated by increase in others; he proceeded to answer some objections made to the political tendency of the treaty. It had been said that its effects would be to compose that jealousy and rivalry between the two countries which was so essential to the welfare of Great Britain, France being naturally and necessarily its enemy. This principle he held to be a national prejudice, unworthy of an enlightened people; and he regarded it as a libel upon the constitution of political societies to suppose that any two states were necessarily enemies. He concluded with moving a resolution, that all the articles of the produce and manufactures of the European dominions of the French King, not specified in the tariff of the treaty, shall be imported into this kingdom on the payment of duties as low as any payable on the like articles from any other European nation. Mr. Fox followed in a long speech, the principal object of which was to prove, that the only situation in which Great Britain could stand in the general system of Europe with honour, dignity, and safety, was as a counterpoise to the power of France. Having with all his energy maintained this political point, he proceeded to consider the treaty in a commercial view, and supported a petition which had been presented from an association of manufacturers called the Chamber of Commerce, for further deliberation on so important a subject. He then moved an amendment, which, after several other speakers had joined the debate, was negatived, and the resolution was agreed to by a majority of 248 to 118.

The committee of the house being again formed, Mr. Pitt moved his second resolution, that the wines of France be imported upon as low duties as the present duties upon Portugal wines. This motion brought on a warm discussion of the general commercial merits of the treaty, as well as of the resolution in question, which was strongly opposed as militating against the Methuen treaty with Portugal, and Mr. Fox moved as an amendment, that the duty upon Portugal wines should at the same time be reduced one-third. This was negatived; and the report of the committee was afterwards brought up and agreed to by a great majo rity. It is unnecessary to notice the farther debates which took place in this House, or those which occurred in the House of Lords, relative to the commercial treaty. It was finally approved in both Houses by large majori ties; and an address, in which both concurred, was presented to the King, thanking him for having entered into the treaty. It appears that upon the whole, the manufacturing interest of this country was better satisfied with it, than that of France.

About this time a constitutional point relative to the peerage of Scotland was decided by the House of Lords. Two peers of the sixteen representing that body in parliament, the Earl of Abercorn, and the Duke of Queensberry, having during the late prorogation been created peers of Great Britain, the question occurred, whether, after such creation, they could continue to sit in their former representative capacity. The act of union was silent on this subject, and the only precedent was that of the Duke of Athol, who, upon succeeding to an English peerage, had continued to sit in both qualities. The discussion was introduced on February 13th by Lord Stormont in a motion importing that the earl of Abercorn, one of the sixteen peers representing the peerage of Scotland, having been created Viscount Hamilton, doth thereby cease to sit as a representative of the Scotch peerage. In his speech supporting this motion, his lordship principally dwelt upon the incompatibility of the two characters, a peer

possessing a temporary seat by election, and one holding a hereditary seat. The motion was opposed by the lord chancellor and the Earl of Moreton, and was supported by Lord Loughborough. Upon a division it was carried by 52 votes to 38; and was followed by a motion of the same tenour relative to the Duke of Queensberry, created Baron Douglas.

A plan for the consolidation of the several duties upon articles in the customs, and the excise, so as to convert them into single duties upon each article, was introduced by Mr. Pitt on February 26th, and met with the general concurrence of the house. Objections were, however, made to an intention of including in the plan the duties to be imposed upon merchandize to be imported in consequence of the new commercial treaty with France; but they were over-ruled, and the bill framed upon this proposal passed into a law.

On March 28th Mr. Beaufoy made a motion for taking into consideration the repeal of the corporation and test acts. With respect to the latter of these acts, he showed, from its title, that its design was to prevent dangers from popish recusants; and he related from the history of the time, that the dissenters had determined. not to oppose it, considering it as then essential to the safety of the kingdom, and confiding in the justice of parliament that a bill for their relief should afterwards be passed that such a bill was actually passed, but was first defeated by a prorogation of parliament, and afterwards by the clerk's stealing the bill. With respect to the corporation act, it was passed in the year after the restoration, when men's minds were under the agitation occasioned by the late troubles. He then entered into the general right of every man to follow his own religious principles without being liable to penalties for so doing, unless they were injurious to the community, and endeavoured to prove that the present dissenters were no just objects of jealousy to the state. The motion was opposed first by Lord North, and then by Mr. Pitt, and was supported by Mr. Fox. Other