1795 appointed afforded a plea for refusing to conform to this article.-The result was, that an act of the assembly was passed in the ensuing year, banishing the Maroons from Jamaica, and making it felony for them to return. They were, in consequence, transported to Nova Scotia. But it being afterwards found that they were burthensome to that province, by agreement with the Sierra Leone company, they were, in 1800, transported to that settlement.' 1795 AMERICAN STATES. THE Occurrences of this year again afforded the president an occasion to display that good sense and dispassionate temper which had been united with firmness and energy of mind in giving the American states the distinguished station which they now filled. The Indians on the side of Canada having made inroads on the American frontier in the late year, general Wayne was now sent with a body of troops against them. Immediate success attended the arms of that veteran commander, with the disadvantage of a great inferiority of force.-The victory by which his purpose was effected having been obtained under the guns of a British fort, an altercation ensued between the general and major Campbell, who commanded in it, respecting the propriety of his conduct.The right of Great Britain to erect the fort being disputed, such an event under a less temperate governor, might have brought on a war. This was the ardent wish of those partisans of France who had been labouring, since the establishment of American independency, to undermine the British interests in this country. But Washington was persuaded that peace was essential to the welfare and prosperity of America; and therefore made it his care to preserve its honour by pacific means.-After a correspondence with the British resident here on the subject, Mr. Jay was dispatched as ambassador to England, for the purpose of representing the affair to the government of that country, and adjusting the differences between them. And so successful were his negotiations, that a treaty of amity and com Dallas. 2. 249. 1 Idem. 267.83. merce a Ann. Regist. 1795. 143. 1796. 127. merce was concluded between the two powers, which was ratified by the American states before the close of this year. † The governor's judgment and spirit were displayed at the same time in an affair of a domestic nature.-A small duty had been laid on distillers in 1790, which had been paid by the subjects of the states in general without reluctance. But the inhabitants of the western parts of Pensylvania, consisting chiefly of emigrants from Scotland and Ireland who had left their native countries to avoid taxation, refused to submit to it, and took up arms in support of their refusal. To try the effect of mild expedients before coercive measures should be adopted, commissioners were appointed to treat with them on the part of government. But these were answered on the part of the revolters with a threat that they would renounce their allegiance, and apply to Great Britain for assistance, unless the tax were repealed. Washington was aware of the danger which threatened the peace of the states from the intrigues of the French partisans, who embraced the opportunity. which this menace afforded to make impressions on the minds of the people unfavourable to Great Britain. But he knew that the authority of the legislature would be despised, if the act were not enforced.-After trying the effect of a proclamation, inviting the insurgents and their abettors to return to their obedience in friendly terms, without success, he prepared for coercive measures. Five thousand of the revolters being assembled at Pittsburg, he ordered the militia of the neighbouring counties to be arrayed; and, taking the field in person, he advanced towards them with a strong body of forces, under the immediate command of general Miflin. The measure was attended with the desired effect.-The insurgents were dispersed without a conflict. The leading malecontents submitted to the tax. And, that no animosity might be left rankling in their minds, and they might be perfectly reconciled to the government, a full pardon was granted to the offenders." 1795 + October 6. VOL. III. Ann. Regist. 1795. 143. 3 S GREAT GREAT BRITAIN. 1796. 1796 AFTER all the means employed to strengthen the hands of government, and the precautions adapted to deter the disaffected from attempting a revolt, no person could contemplate the state of the nation at this time without apprehensions of the evils which might eventually arise from the discontent and turbulence prevalent throughout the kingdom.-As this ferment was known to be heightened by a persuasion, which the seditious studiously propagated, that the ministry were averse to peace on any other terms than the restoration of the ancient monarchy in France, it was thought advisable to endeavour the removal of it by some measure expressive of a pacific disposition.-Happily, whilst the internal state of the kingdom and the successes of the French arms in the late campaign recommended it, the change which had taken place in the constitution of France, by which it was made less democratic, afforded plausible grounds for an alteration of sentiment and conduct towards it: moreover, the treaties concluded with that state by Prussia, Spain, and Tuscany, as well as the neutral powers of Denmark and Sweden, afforded an example which would alleviate the feelings of mortification that must necessarily attend any overtures from the British government, after its repeated declarations respecting the impossibility of a secure treaty with it. " a The premier, therefore, embraced the opportunity which these favourable circumstances afforded to deprive the factious of their chief ground of censure, and to conciliate the approbation of the dispassionate, by shewing that the nature of the French government was no longer a bar to a negotiation a negotiation with it. This he did by a message from his majesty to the house of commons, at the close of the late year, † informing them" that "the crisis which was depending at the commencement of the present "session has led to such an order of things in France as will induce his 86 majesty, conformably with the sentiments which he has always declared, "to meet any disposition for negotiation on the part of the enemy, and "with an earnest desire to give it the fullest and speediest effect, and to "conclude a treaty for a general peace, whenever it can be effected on just and suitable terms for himself and his allies." He then moved for an address on this message. Mr. Sheridan would willingly have detracted from the merit of this measure by ascribing it to a desire of frustrating Mr. Grey's intended motion for peace; grounding his opinion on its inconsistency with the minister's former sentiments and conduct respecting the war.-To this the minister replyed by saying, "that, till the present opportunity none had "offered to encourage ideas of peace; which, however, had not been prevented by the mere existence of a republic in France, but by a total "absence of any species of regular government. The change now," he said, "was manifest: the new constitution was contrary to the doctrine of "universal equality; the French had now a mixed form of government, admitting of distinctions in society; and their legislature was not con"structed on principles purely democratic."-The amendment to the address proposed by Mr. Sheridan, was, in the result, rejected. And the same issue attended Mr. Grey's subsequent motion for peace. ‡ The public expenditure being now become the most important object of national concern, and finance the most difficult department of government, the minority recommended themselves to the esteem of their countrymen by giving it their especial regard. Mr. Grey was the chief agent in this business. After enlarging on the rapid increase of the national debt, after comparing the expenditure with that which had attended the most expensive of our former wars, and condemning the minister's conduct respecting extraordinaries and votes of credit, as well as his manner of applying the revenue, and the practices introduced into the + December 8. 1795. State Papers. ap. Ann. Register. 1795. financial February 15. C Ann. Regist. 56. 1796 1796 financial department, he moved "that the house should resolve itself into 66 a committee to inquire into the state of the nation." -In answer to the purport of the motion, to dispel the gloom which it was calculated to spread over the national affairs, Mr. Jenkinson adverted to the flourishing state of our commerce and the increasing resources which were derived from it; he represented the minister's merit in projecting the sinking fund and uniformly adhering to it under the severest pressure of the times; he accounted for the increased expenditure upon rational grounds; and he did honour to him for the manner in which he had applied the public money to the annoyance of our enemy, and for the energy which marked his administration.—Mr. Pitt vindicated his own conduct relative to various particulars in the department of finance, and communicated his plans for providing resources: and, when he had adduced the low terms on which he had negotiated the loan in proof of the prosperity of the kingdom, "it ought," he said, "to silence the misrepresentations of those who take pains to state "this country as reduced to distress, and who had thereby encouraged the "French to assume the arrogance of dictating the terms of peace, when "their own finances were wholly shattered, and the whole country and "nation involved in every species of public and private embarrassment, " from which nothing but a peace could possibly extricate them.” This reflection was severely felt by the minority; and the debate was continued with uncommon asperity of language and sentiment.-After charging the minister with errors and misconduct, Mr. Grey declared it to be a duty which the national representatives owed to their constituents, to investigate the ministerial statements with the severest strictness. And, admonishing the assembly to beware of the delusive representations given of the state of the belligerent parties, he said, that to such delusion the war was owing, together with its fatal protractions; and asserted that, if a fair investigation were made by a committee of inquiry, it would be seen that provision had not been made, as stated, for the interest of the public debt. The premier having, in answer, justified his assertions and his statements, Mr. Fox made a very animated rejoinder in support of the motion; confirming what the mover had advanced in derogation of the minister's conduct, but without making any impression on his audience. When the resolutions March 10. |