fered from his opposition to the election of Poniatowski, was elected marshal; and a coalition between the general confederacy of the malcontents and that of the dissidents took place in September, in that prince's palace. In order to reconcile the different parties, and prevent a civil war, a general diet of the kingdom was assembled at Warsaw in October; but the warmth with which the pretensions of the dissidents were opposed by some of the catholic magnates and prelates frustrated all attempts for conciliation. In the mean time, the Russian troops were advancing upon Warsaw, which at length they closely invested; and some of their detachments entering the city, arrested the Bishops of Cracow and Kiof, with some nobles of their party, and sent them prisoners into Russia. At the following meeting of the diet, after violent tumults, it was agreed that a commission should be appointed to settle the affairs of the dissidents, under the mediation of Russia, and a temporary calm was restored. The Prince Stadtholder of Holland was in this year married to the Princess Royal of Prussia; an union afterwards productive of important political conse quences. The Corsicans, under the conduct of Paoli, having effected a landing on the island of Capraia, belonging to the Genoese, laid siege to its principal fort, which surrendered in May, after a long defence. In the East Indies, a war commenced between the English Company and a new foe, Hyder Ally, which in the sequel involved the Company in great difficulty and immense expenses. This adventurer, from the condition of a private soldier, raised himself by his courage and talents to the rank of a powerful prince, and became master of a considerable portion of the Malabar coast. He had influenced the Nizam of the Decan to renounce his alliance with the Company, and unite with himself in a war against it. On the intelligence of this event, the council of Madras sent an army into the field, under the command of Colonel Smith, who, on September 26th, brought the confederate forces to an engagement near Trincomalee, and entirely defeated them. The Nizam thereupon deserted Hyder, and concluded a treaty with the Company, by which he ceded to it the Dewannee of the Balagat Carnatic. Hyder withdrew to a mountainous tract, where he maintained himself, and by the superiority of his cavalry frequently intercepted the supplies sent to the English army. 64 A. D. 1768. YEAR OF GEORGE III. 8 & 9. Additions to the Ministry.-Petition of East India Company.-Affair of the Duke of Portland. - Irish Parliaments limited to eight Years. Dissolution of Parliament and Election.-Affairs of Mr. Wilkes. Riot in St. George's Fields. FerDeath of Princess Louisa. ment in the Colonies. Differences between Massachusets Bay and its Governor. Tumult at Boston. - Lord Chatham resigns, and other Changes in the Ministry.- Affairs of Poland. - War between Russia and Turkey. Differences between the King and Senate of Sweden.- Cession of Corsica to France by Genoa.- Dispute between Parma and the Court of Rome.- Other States join against the Pope. War in the East Indies. — Institution of the Royal Academy of Arts. Cook's first Voyage.- King of Denmark visits England. - In the month of January the ministry was consolidated by the appointment of Lord Weymouth to the post of secretary of state, in the room of General Conway; and of the Earl of Hillsborough to that of secretary of state for the colonies, a new office, which the increased importance of colonial affairs was thought to render expedient. The restraining act, with respect to East India dividends, having nearly expired, and a bill for its renewal being brought into parliament, the Company presented a petition against it, in which they strongly pleaded their right by charter to declare their own dividends, and engaged to make no increase which should not be amply justified by the state of their affairs. The bill, however, notwithstanding a warm opposition, was carried in both houses by a great majority. A motion made in the House of Commons for leave to bring in a bill for quieting the subject against obsolete claims of the crown, excited considerable interest, both in and out of parliament. It was occasioned by the following circumstance. The Portland family had, in consequence of a grant from King William, been more than 70 years in possession of the honour of Penrith, in Cumberland, with its appurtenances, which last had been regarded as including the forest of Inglewood and manor of Carlisle, though not specifically mentioned in the grant. In the summer of 1767, Sir James Lowther presented a memorial to the lords of the treasury, stating, that he had been informed that this forest and manor had been long withheld from the crown, and praying for a lease of his Majesty's interest in them. The surveyor general of crown lands having given his opinion, without consulting the crown lawyers, that these premises were still invested in the crown; the Duke of Portland presented a memorial to the treasury board, praying to be heard by counsel in defence of his title, before any proceedings were held, in consequence of Sir James Lowther's application. He was informed that no steps should be taken to his prejudice without a full investigation of the matter; but whilst the duke's agents were employed in the necessary researches, he received a letter from the secretary of the treasury, acquainting him, that the grant was passed, and the leases to Sir James were signed. Nothing now remained for the duke but to stop its progress in the exchequer office, where he had entered a caveat; the chancellor of the exchequer, however, being applied to for the purpose, made answer, that he could not withhold the seal of his office against a direct order from the treasury to affix it. This was the state in which the affair was brought before parliament, where it occasioned a warm discussion. A motion was made, the object of which was to introduce as an amendment of the law of James I. which declared that the quiet enjoyment of property for 60 years before the passing of that act should bar all claims of the crown, the conversion of this fixed prescription into a moving limitation, making 60 years' possession a bar against such claims in all future times. The ministry found no better method of getting rid of the motion, than by a postponement of it to the next session, which they carried by a majority of 20 only. A bill to that effect, however, passed in the following year. During the winter, a popular bill passed the Irish parliament, for limiting the duration of the parliaments of that kingdom, which hitherto had only been_terminated with the demise of the crown. It was fixed at eight years, and as their sittings were only every second winter, four sessions only were allotted them for the transaction of business. The metropolis was much disquieted in the spring by riots, particularly among the sailors and coal-heavers, in which many lives were lost; and several of the perpetrators afterwards suffered by the hand of justice. Parliament was dissolved on March 10th, and the kingdom was for a considerable time kept in a ferment by the election of a new one. Party running high, the electioneering contests were unusually violent, and in many places very serious disorders occurred. Mr. Wilkes, who had been almost forgotten, was again brought into public notice on this occasion. His outlawry had obliged him to reside on the continent, whence he had written to the Duke of Grafton, entreating him to mediate his pardon with the king. His application being disregarded, he ventured, on the dissolution of parliament, to come over and offer himself as a candidate for the city of London. Being left the last on the poll in the contest, he immediately declared himself for the county of Middlesex, and so high was his popularity, that he was returned by a large majority. After his election, he surrendered himself before the court of King's Bench, which refused to commit him on his outlawry, as moved by the attorney general, and he was accordingly discharged. He was afterwards, however, committed on a writ of capias ut legatum; but, as the officers were conveying him to the King's Bench prison, he was rescued by the mob. After they had dispersed, he went privately to prison, where |