counfels which equity and a well understood intereft have long given her upon this fubject. She appears more than ever to confider nations as tributary to her-her commerce, her industry, and her maritime power are to concentrate all their treasures in her hands-Thefe odious principles have just been openly profeffed and proclaimed by the minifters, and even by men who it might have been fuppofed would have had more liberal ideas. Has not Mr. Sheridan faid in the Houfe of Commons, that England ought not for any confideration to fufer herself to be difpoffeffed of the empire of the feas, which the has poffeffed for two centuries? It is upon their conquefts in India that the English reft the trident they have ufurped. To tear it from their grafp, it was necessary to direct against India the blow that was preparing to be ftruck. To penetrate into that remote region, the shortest, most certain, and leaft expected road, was that of Egypt. Bonaparte conceived it, and the plan long meditated of occupying that country was fuddenly refolved upon, and not lefs rapidly attempted. He does not alone, like vulgar conquerors, found his hopes of fuccefs upon those means of force and deftruction which the genius of war has invented, but, equally philanthropical and wife, he prepares and combines all the means of forming a powerful colony, and of making it flourish. He affociates to his destiny those precious men who cultivate the fciences which protect liberty, and the beneficent arts by which conquerors make the conquered forget their defeat. The lofs of the fleet at Aboukir, by fufpending its ulterior destination, had no other effect on the French army than the forcing it to think seriously of establishing itself in a folid and durable manner in Egypt, which it had already nearly conquered. To the political object which the expedition to Egypt had in view, was added the intention of wrefting that fine country from the tyranny of the Mamelukes, the violators of treaties-of impreffing upon the Ottoman empire the fentiment of our dignity and power and, by establishing a point of immediate contact with it, of communicating to it fufficient vigour to fhelter it from the attack meditating against it. But the temporary fucceffes of Nelfon, the gold and the menaces of the cabinet of St. James's, the imbecility of the greater part of the minifters of Selim the Third, the fanaticifin, ignorance, and pride of all, difappointed the combinations and the hopes of enlightened and profpective friendfhip." Gaudin proceeded to pay a tribute of praife to all the foldiers of the army, and of regret for the lofs of Kleber. He concluded by moving, that all the late papers relative to Egypt fhould be printed and diftributed, and that two copies fhould be depofited in the library of the Tribunate, as a monument of its gratitude to the army of Egypt. Y y 2 Circular Circular Letter from the French Minifter for foreign Affairs to all the Powers in Amity with France, refpecting the Attempt on the Life of Bonaparte, on the 24th of December. Sir, Paris. You will read with horror in the annexed paper the account of an attempt made against the life of the Chief Conful. From the circumstances of the crime you will perceive what a vile and execrable defcription of men were the inftruments of it. The genius of France has once more faved his life. Whatever conjectures may be formed concerning the quarter from which the firft impulfe proceeded; Europe, in learning that the crime has been fruftrated, will become more and more convinced that the destiny of a great man is under the immediate protection of Heaven itself, and that it has placed it too far above the reach of a handful of villains, for them to be enabled to fucceed in their defigns, or to arreft its courfe. The attempt was not unforeseen-it had been conceived by a fet of men, who have always taken a part more or less prominent in the horrors of the revolution, who have ever been anxious to excite previous terror by announcing their infernal defigns. It is fix weeks fince this laft enterprife has been announced. The public voice loudly proclaimed the neceffity of redoubling mea fures of precaution. The Chief Conful owes this deference to that enthusiasm of which he is the object, to fatisfy this national fenfibility, by giving orders for a more active vigilance to be exereifed around his perfon. PARLIAMENTARY PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS. BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Both Houfes having met on the 11th of November 1800, his Majefty opened the Seffion with the following Speech from the Throne. My Lords, and Gentlemen, MY tender concern for the welfare of my subjects, and a fenfe of the difficulties with which the poorer claffes particularly have to ftruggle, from the prefent high price of provifions, have induced me to call you together at an earlier period than I had otherwife intended. No object can be nearer my heart than that, by your care and wifdom, all fuch measures may be adopted as may, upon full confideration, appear beft calculated to alleviate this fevere preffure, and to prevent the danger of its recurrence by promoting, as far as poffible, the permanent extenfion and improvement of our agriculture. For the object of immediate relief, your attention will naturally be directed, in the firft inftance, to the best mode of affording the earliest and the most ample encouragement for the importation of all descriptions of grain from abroad. Such a fupply, aided by the examples which you have fet on former occafions of attention to economy and frugality in the confumption of corn, is moft likely to contribute to a reduction in the prefent high price, and to infure, at the fame time, the means of meeting the demands for the neceffary confumption of the year. The prefent circumftances will alfo, I am perfuaded, render, the ftate of the laws refpecting the commerce in the various articles of provifion the object of your ferious deliberation. If on the refult of that deliberation it fhall appear to you that' the evil neceffarily arifing from unfavourable feafons has been increased by any undue combinations or fraudulent practices for the fake of adding unfairly to the price, you will feel an earneft defire of effectually preventing fuch abuses; but you will, I am fure, be careful to diftinguish any practices of this nature from that regular and long-eftablished courfe of trade which experience has shown to be indifpenfable, in the prefent ftate of fociety, for the fupply of the markets, and for the fubfiftence of my people. You You will have feen with concern the temporary disturbances which have taken place in fome parts of the kingdom. Thofe malicious and difaffected perfons who cruelly take advantage of the prefent difficulties to excite any of my fubjects to acts in violation of the laws and of the public peace, are in the prefent circumftances doubly criminal, as fuch proceedings must neceffarily and immediately tend to increafe, in the highest degree, the evil complained of, while they, at the fame time, endanger the permanent tranquillity of the country; on which the well-being of the industrious claffes of the community must always principally depend. The voluntary exertions which have on this occafion been made, for the immediate repreffion of these outrages, and in fupport of the laws and public peace, are therefore entitled to my highest praife. Gentlemen of the Houfe of Commons, Under the circumftances of the prefent meeting, I am defirous of afking of you fuch fupplics only as may be neceffary for carrying on the public fervice, till the Parliament of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland may conveniently be affembled. The estimates for that purpose will be laid before you; and I. have no doubt of your readiness to make fuch provision as the public interests may appear to require. My Lords and Gentlemen, I have directed copies to be laid before you, of thofe communications which have recently paffed between me and the French government, refpecting the commencement of negotiations for peace. You will fee in them fresh and striking proofs of my earnest defire to contribute to the re-establishment of general tranquillity. That defire on my part has hitherto been unhappily fruftrated, by the deter-mination of the enemy to enter only on a feparate negotiation, in which it was impoffible for me to engage, confiftently; either with public faith, or with a due regard to the permanent fecurity of Europe. My anxiety for the fpeedy restoration of peace remains unaltered, and there will be no obftacle nor delay on my part to the adoption of fuch measures as may beft tend to promote and accelerate that defirable end, confiftently with the honour of this country and the true interefts of my people: but if the difpofition of our enemies fhould continue to render this great object of all my wishes unattainable, without the facrifice of thefe effential confiderations, on the maintenance of which all its advantages must depend, you will, I am confident, perfevere in affording me the fame loyal and fteady fupport, which I have experienced through the whole of this important conteft, and which has, under the bleffing of Providence, enabled me, during a period of fuch unexampled exampled difficulty and calamity to all the furrounding nations, to maintain uniin paired the fecurity and honour of these kingdoms Same Day, in the Houfe of Lords, AN addrefs of thanks to his Majefty's fpeech was moved by the Duke of Somerfet, and feconded by Lord Hobart. Lord Holland moved an amendment, to the following effect: "That we cannot conceal or diffemble from his Majesty, that a change of councils appears to us neceflary, for the attainment and eftablishment of peace upon any folid foundation." Lord Holland's amendment was negatived by a majority of, Contents 50-Non-contents 5. The original addrefs was then put and carried, Contents 50-Non-contents 5. Majority 45. On the fame Day, in the House of Commons, SIR John Wrottefley moved the addrefs to his Majesty's fpeech, which was feconded by Mr. Dickenfon Mr. Grey moved an amendment, to the effect that the last paragraph of the addrefs fhould be left out, for the purpose of fubftituting another, expreflive of a wifh for a fpeedy negotiation for peace. The amendment was negatived without a divifion, and the original addrefs was then put and carried without a division. The humble Addrefs of the Houfe of Commons to the King. WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majefty the humble thanks of this Houfe for your Majefty's most gracious fpeech from the throne. We acknowledge with gratitude the tender concern which your Majefty at all times fhows for the welfare of your fubjects, and that paternal fenfe of the difficulties with which the poorer claffes of them particularly have to ftruggle from the prefent high price of provifions, which have induced your Majefty to call us together at this time we beg to affure your Majefty, that it will be equally our with and our duty to adopt, as expeditiously as poffible, all fuch measures as may, upon due confideration, appear best calculated to alleviate this fevere preffure, and to prevent the danger of its recurrence, by promoting, as far as poffible, the permanent extenfion and improvement of our agriculture. For the object of immediate relief, our attention will naturally be directed, in the first inftance, to the best mode of affording the earliest |