ledge of the doctor: they were well adapted to quicken '777• the court of France, and he improved them to the purpofe of fhowing the importance and neceffity of her taking an open and decifive part. The miniftry however, were for keeping that part private when taken, as long as convenient to their own nation, and subservient to the general good of both countries.

December the 24th, there was a meeting of merchants 24, at the King's Arms tavern in Cornhill, for the purpose of raising a fum of money to relieve the diftrefs of the American prifoners. A petition from feveral of thefe at Portsmouth prifon, fent, the 1ft of the month, to certain lords and others, was read. The petition sets forth, that admiralty was petitioned the last year in behalf of certain fick prifoners, and the petition difregarded; that they were about one hundred and forty, in want of warm clothing as well as of almoft every comfort, many without fhoes and ftockings ;-that they were under a man, as overfeer, void of all humanity, who detains every charitable fupply fent by humane neighbours, denies them the common fupplies of milk, and allows them neither candle nor fire in that cold feafon;that their whole allowance is only eight ounces of meat each man per day, including the bone, and beer that is very small indeed ;-and that captains and other officers are penned up altogether like cattle, with the common failors, and with their own fervants. Lord Abingdon had taken up the matter in the house of peers, and moved for accounts relative to their treatment. No relief however was obtained by his effort in parliament; the merchants- therefore engaged in the bufinefs, and by

1777. the 29th, fourteen hundred and eighty-fix pounds fix fhillings and fix-pence was fubfcribed.

1778.

Jan.

3.

9.

On Saturday, January the 3d, five gentlemen attended on the lords of the admiralty, who expreffed their approbation of the humane motives of the fubfcribers, and promifed official countenance to the application of the money, and to lay the committee under no other reftraints than what were neceffary for the good order and fafe cuftody of the prifoners. Lord Sandwich, at the time, in the handsomest manner, directed the commiffioners of fick and hurt to give immediate orders to the furveyor to erect a temporary building, where the prifoners might have the benefit of a fire in the approaching inclement season.

The committee advertised, that the town fubfcriptions, (independent of the country) amounting to upward of three thousand feven hundred pounds, being fully adequate for the prefent to the end propofed, the fubfcription was therefore closed. Subscriptions had been opened at Bristol, Nottingham, in Yorkshire and other places. The whole fum by February the 17th. amounted to four thousand fix hundred and forty-feven pounds fifteen fhillings, including what had been fent from the country.

During the recefs of parliament, measures were purfued by the miniftry and their friends for obtaining a body of new troops by a voluntary fupply from the people. The towns of Manchester and Liverpoole were leaders in this bufinefs; engaged in it with the greatest fervor; and immediately fent to court an offer to raise each a regiment of 1000 men. In other places, public meetings of towns, counties and great corporate bodies,

were encouraged, at which refolutions were propofed for 1778. the general levying of men for the fervice. Much artifice was practised to draw the city of London into the like measure; and the minifterial party, with the chief magistrate at their head (who might have received instruction and encouragement from his fuperiors) expected to have effected it; but to their aftonishment found themselves deserted by the greater part of those who had hitherto regularly obeyed all their mandates refpecting elections to city offices-Such was the effect of the original averfion to the American war, and fuch the disgust toward miniftry on the late unfavorable events. But the chief magiftrate would not defift: he fuddenly called a court on this business; when they met it was foftened 16. down to a propofal for the city to give a bounty for the raifing of men for the land and fea fervice. Warm debates enfued, and the motion was thrown out by a very great majority of the common council. Then followed a refolution condemning in ftrong terms, the giving of any countenance to, or being in any manner inftrumen-tal in the further continuance of the prefent ruinous and deftructive war. The disappointed perfons however opened a fubfcription, "to fupport the authority of Great Britain over her rebellious colonies in America;" the ftile proving offenfive, it was changed for the fupport of king and government: as they were monied men and liberal, 20,000l. was foon fubfcribed.

A fimilar attempt was made in Bristol, and the event was fimilar. But a number of names to large fums of money appeared in a private subscription, which rivalled in the amount that at London. Neither of thefe fubfcriptions have been found to produce any great effect.

1778. The minifterial measure fucceeded no better in the coun ties. A strong government interest was foiled in Norfolk; and the attempt produced a petition of uncommon force and energy from the freeholders of the county to parliament against the American war.

The measure of raifing new regiments was adopted in Scotland with the greateft avidity. The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, raised a regiment of 1000 men each; and were indulged like Manchester and Liverpoole, with the nomination of officers. Several individuals undertook and performed the raifing of regiments in the Highlands. The conditions were generally the fame, and very advantageous to both the raisers and officers. Several independent companies, amounting to about a regiment in point of number, were raised in Wales; but the battalions, except those of Manches‐ : ter and Liverpoole, were all formed in Scotland.

When the measures of raifing men and money came to be debated, a great law lord pronounced the measure of raifing troops, without the consent and during the fitting of parliament, to be abfolutely illegal, unconstitutional, and a high violation of the fundamental privileges of parliament; and declared that the committees at the London Tavern and at Bristol, who conducted the fubfcriptions in these cities, had acted a daringly illegal and truly alarming part, having affumed a legislative power, and acted in that capacity, in which, according to the spirit of the constitution, and the express meaning of the bill of rights, parliament only were em→ powered to act.

The question of benevolences and free gifts did not undergo lefs difcuffion, nor their being brought into

practice incur lefs cenfure, than the doctrine of raifing 1778 forces without the participation of parliament. They were declared to have been illegal at all times, and in all the stages of the conftitution. It was obferved, that the prefent measure overthrew the only colourable argument ever brought to juftify the conduct of parliament in endeavouring to tax the colonies. It had been held out, "That if the colonies, now that they are grown powerful and opulent, fhould give free grants to the crown, as they have hitherto customarily done upon requifition, the crown may become independent on parliament for fupplies." This, it was faid, became the constant ery of minifters to amuse and deceive the peo ple, and the cloak to hide their worst designs,

6.

On the 6th of February, the treaties between France Feb. and the United States were figned. The alliance between these two powers had not been concluded much more than eight and forty hours before it was known by the British ministry.

Mr. Fox, in a debate five days after, made it appear 11, from different calculations, that the number of men loft to the army, in killed, difabled, deferted, and from va rious other causes, fince the commencement of hoftilities, amounted to about twenty thousand,

The duke of Richmond in a committee of the houfe of lords stated, about the fame time, the following facts

That fince the commencement of hoftilities, the number of veffels belonging to Great Britain and Ireland, taken by American fhips of war and privateers, amounted to feven hundred and thirty-three; forty-feven of which had been released, and one hundred and twentyfeyen retaken:-That the lofs of the remaining five