HISTORY OF ENGLAND, CIVIL, MILITARY, AND ECCLESIASTICAL; FROM THE INVASION BY JULIUS CESAR TO THE YEAR 1846. BLACKIE AND SON: LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND GLASGOW. MDCCCLI. THE British Parliament had been dissolved by proclamation soon after the close of the last session. The new Parliament assembled on the 6th of Oct. 1797, and was opened by a speech from the throne, in which his majesty repeated his anxious wish for an honourable peace, and announced the intended fruitless and degrading mission of Lord Malmesbury to Paris. Allusion was also made to the success of our arms in the East and West Indies, and to the brilliant campaign of Archduke Charles. The usual addresses passed without a division. On the 7th of November, Pitt opened the budget. The money required by ministers was 27,945,000l. Among the ways and means they proposed was a new loan of 18,000,000l. There seemed to be, on the whole, a good English spirit in the House. Whatever Pitt said that was animating, as to the courage and resources the country, and our capability of achieving the safety of Europe, our own glory and permanent advantage, was well cheered; but Fox, on the other hand, was heard in dead silence when he endeavoured to attribute the zeal shown in the new loan, called the loyalty loan, to a desire of peace. * It had been stated by Pitt, in his speech on *Dr. French Lawrence to Burke; Epistolary Correspondence. VOL. XXIII. B |