combat, Hyder, conscious of his strength and prowess, seemed to rejoice that so fair an opportunity offered itself to revenge the injuries which had been done him. He knew that the presidency of Madras, whilst engaged in intrigues, had neglected the proper means for providing for the defence of their own territories and those of their ally, the nabob of Arcot. He was apprized that their affairs were distracted; and that the company's military force, though amounting to 30,000 men, was divided into detached bodies, at so great a distance from each other that they would not easily be brought to act unitedly: And he had experienced the vast advantage derived from promptitude in the execution of every military enterprise. When the company would willingly have checked his operations, therefore, by opening a negotiation for a treaty, he received their overtures with cold disdain: he reproached the company with its breach of faith: he adverted to their conduct since their treaty in 1769 in proof of his charge: and he closed his conference with their agent abruptly in these words—" It is no matter! "But if you, henceforth, forgetting all treaties and engagements, are still "intent on breaking with me, what advantage can attend writing to you. "You are acquainted with every thing: it is right to act in all things with re prudence and foresight." The views of this prince, whose greatest ambition it was to avenge the cause of the Indian powers on their oppressors, immediately became manifest. He had assembled an army of above 80,000 men; which was rendered more effective by the French officers which had joined him from the nizam's service. His enemies not having provided for the defence of the Ghauts, he poured like a torrent into the countries on the east of those passes; and while Tippoo Saib was laying waste the northern Circars, he advanced himself with the grand army and sat down before Arcot.† To oppose this vast force, colonel Baillie was stationed with a small detachment in the Circars, and sir Hector Monroe took the field with all the "conciseness and decision in the executive departments of a great government, are probably "unprecedented in the annals of men. Conscious from experience of his own ability, and of "the weakness and distraction of the English, he planned their extirpation from India.-He "summoned all the native powers to join his cause :-they hesitated. He determined to act alone "-and conquered the Carnatic."-Fullarton's View. 62. 1780 1780 the forces which could be assembled at Madras.-Hyder, not being desirous of coming to a pitched battle, raised the siege on the approach of the English general. His object was to prevent the intended junction of Baillie's corps with sir Hector Monroe's army. With that view, whilst he posted his own army on that officer's route, he detached his son and brother with 30,000 of his best troops to attack him on his march. The result of these movements was an action at Perimbancum; ‡ where, notwithstanding the great disadvantages which the British general laboured under from the total want of cavalry as well as his inferiority of force, he obtained a victory that did singular honour to himself and his forces, which might more properly be called a band of men than an army." But even victory could not extricate these brave troops from their embarrassments. Sir Hector Monroe had adopted the only mean in his power for their relief, by sending colonel Fletcher with a detachment to their support. That officer had formed his junction: and the two commanders were advancing with their united forces towards the grand army encamped near Conjeveram, when they were suddenly attacked by Tippoo Saib in ambuscade. A furious battle ensued. Surrounded by 25,000 cavalry and thirty regiments of sepoys, the compact British detachment, with only ten pieces of artillery, were enabled to repel every charge by the invincible firmness with which they maintained their ground. Fortune seemed inclined again to confer on them their just reward, when the accidental explosion of their tumbrils threw them into irrecoverable confusion.-The disastrous defeat which ensued was rendered more severe by the loss of nearly the whole detachment, either taken or slain; and that, too, was embittered by the death of colonel Fletcher and the capture of Baillie.—The immediate consequence of this event was the reduction of Arcot by the grand Mysorean army, and the siege of Wandewash and other fortresses.* The presidency were now convinced of the absolute necessity of employing the only effectual means of reconciliation with the nizam, by restoring the Guntoor Circar. This, therefore, they adopted; and gave him assurances, at the same time, of their sincere intentions to pay the arrears due on the peshcush as soon as their circumstances should enable them.' GREAT BRITAIN. 1781. THE spirit of a free people may ever be observed to rise in proportion to the exigencies of the state: it is in the hour of national danger that they feel the full effects arising from the invigorating principle of liberty, and learn to set a just value on that blessing. Never was this observation more remarkably, more gloriously exemplified than in the present conduct of Great Britain. Far from yielding to the united efforts of almost all the powers of Europe to bear her down, she only appeared to be roused by them to greater exertions, to a greater display of her resources and her prowess. On the meeting of parliament after the winter recess, † the hostile manifesto which had been published against Holland was laid before the two houses, setting forth the grounds on which the government had acted; viz. the inattention of the states general to the friendly negotiations proposed by the British ambassador—their refusing to fulfil the engagements solemnly entered into between the two nations-their giving every secret assistance to our enemies, whilst they withheld from us the succours which they had engaged to furnish-their taking off the inland duties for the sole purpose of facilitating the carriage of naval stores to France-the protection afforded to the privateers of our enemies, and particularly to Paul Jones, an American pirate, a part of whose crew had been permitted to mount guard in a fort in the Texel-and the endeavours of their subjects, in concert with the French, to raise up enemies to the English in the East Indies. + January 25. 1781 1781 a Indies. The merits of the measure were warmly discussed in the debates which ensued: it was reprobated by the opposition as unwise, precipitate, and impolitic, and was justified by the ministry on the grounds of the expediency of coming to an open rupture with a state, which, relinquishing its former principles of policy by which they had united with Great Britain in preserving the balance of power against the ascendency of France, had not only abandoned us in our distress, but had become the tool of that insidious court, and the dupe of a faction within the provinces themselves which was subservient to its policy.-The result was, that an address of thanks for his majesty's message was voted by great majorities in both houses. b The sentiments of the nation at large were as various as those of the legislature. But the prevailing opinion was that, whatever were the merits of the American war, it was time now for every true patriot to drop all party spirit, and to support the government heartily, in defending the kingdom and maintaining the honour of the British monarchy, in a contest with the most powerful confederacy that ever was formed against a single state. Among the proceedings of this session deserving of our notice was the revival of Mr. Burke's motion for a reform in the public expenditure.Convinced of the expediency and popularity of his scheme, and reflecting on the circumstances attending its rejection by the last parliament, he determined to renew his effort in the present. But the same causes were seen to operate in frustrating his purpose. Notwithstanding it was supported with great ability and eloquence, not only by its author but by Mr. William Pitt, second son of the late earl of Chatham, who made his first harangue in this laudable cause, the motion was rejected by a majority of The same fate attended a motion made this session by Mr. Fox. Actuated by feelings of humanity and patriotism, or by a desire of embarrassing an administration whose measures he disapproved, and which he was ardently desirous to subvert, he returned once more to the attack, on the occasion afforded by the intelligence of the imminent danger which threatened lord Cornwallis's army. To prevent a further effusion of blood 1781 in the contest with our colonies, he moved, "that the house should "resolve itself into a committee to consider of the American war.” ||—All the talents of the partisans on each side were again displayed on this question; which was decided as usual, by a vast majority on that of the minister. d Before we return to the warlike events to which this motion refers, it is proper that we advert to the affairs of the East Indies; which evinced the extreme difficulty of exercising authority at such a distance from the seat of empire, and of devising a system of judicature which should be adapted to the interests of the company, and those of the different descriptions of persons over whom it had assumed that power which was now transferred to the state. We have seen that, in consequence of the representations made of the confused state of things in that country, two supreme authorities had been established there, by virtue of an act of the legislature in 1773; one possessing all the civil and political power, under the name of the governor-general and council; the other called the supreme court of judicature, composed of judges sent from England, who acted independently of the council.-But government had the mortification to find that all its endeavours to place the affairs of the company, and of their territories there, on a secure and advantageous basis had been ineffectual. In consequence of many acts of oppression committed by the officers of the supreme court, two petitions were now presented to parliament; one from the governor and council, stating the exceptionable transactions, and requesting an indemnification from the penalties which they had incurred by resisting the proceedings of the court; the other from the British subjects in Bengal, Bahar, and Orissa, praying relief from the grievances specified in it, particularly the violations of their rights as men and as Britons, which they had endured under the authority of the supreme court of judicature. On the grounds of these petitions general Smith brought the affairs of the East before the house of commons; and, after descanting very ably upon them, he moved that the petitions might be referred to a select committee of fifteen members, to hear evidence respecting the conduct of the supreme |