and the temporary regulation act of fir William Dolben was renewed for another year.

It is worthy of tranfient remark, that Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Smith, and fir William Dolben, all of whom had conspicuously distinguished themselves in the progress of this business, were of religious perfuafions very dissimilar-Mr. Wilberforce being a favorer of the doctrines of methodism, Mr. Smith an avowed dissenter, and fir William Dolben an high churchman. But on this great question, which involved in it the general interest of mankind, all fubordinate differences vanished, and it fufficed to every valuable purpose, that they were all of the exalted and universal religion of HUMANITY*.

The trial of Mr. Hastings was refumed early in the feffion, and the third article, respecting presents illegally and corruptly received by Mr. Hastings, brought forward by Mr. Burke. In his opening speech in support of this charge, in which the fatal business of Nund-comar stood most confpicuous, Mr. Burke made use of the following indifcreet expreffion : " that man Mr. Hastings MURDERED by the hands of fir Elijah Impey." This afforded a ground of petition from Mr. Hastings, that this allegation

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allegation should be profecuted in specific articles, or that the house should grant him such redress as to them should feem meet."

After a long debate, the house of commons resolved, "that no authority had been given by the house for the purpose of making any criminal charge respecting the death of Nund-comar, and that the words complained of ought not to have been fpoken." With this fort of reparation, though not absolutely amounting to an affirmation of innocence, Mr. Hastings was compelled to rest fatisfied.

Mr. Grenville, speaker of the house of commons, being advanced, upon the refignation of lord Sydney, to the office of secretary of state, and in the fequel to a peerage, was fucceeded, after fitting in the chair of the house scarcely fix months, by Henry Addington, efq. The new speaker foon acquired great reputation for dignity, integrity and impartiality in the discharge of his office; and he is, by the united voice of contending factions, allowed to rank amongst the ableft of those who have occupied that high and difficult station.

In providing the fupplies of the year, Mr. Pitt was obliged to acknowledge the neceflity of borrowing the fum of one million, contrary to his own prediction, that no loan would be wanted. This neceffity, however, did not arife from the unproductiveness of the taxes, which rofe even higher than the previous estimate of the minister; but from extraordinary and unforeseen causes, the principal of which were the fums voted for the liquidation of the arrear of the civil list, and of the debt of the prince of Wales, and the expence of the late armament: so that the general profpect of future and permanent profperity remained wholly unimpaired; and the minister acquired from the prefent state of commerce and of the public funds and revenues, great and just increase of reputation.

An important operation of finance took place in the course of the feffion, in the exchange of the heavy duties

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on tobacco from the customs to the excife. This was effected with general approbation, and great advantage to the public. It is a circumstance well worthy of observation, as characteristic of the caprice and inconstancy of the public opinion, that this measure, which had nearly cost fir Robert Walpole his place, and even endangered his life and against which 200 members of the house of commons divided on the original motion of the minifter, and which he was finally compelled to relinquish-was now oppofed on the third reading of the bill by 20 voices only, in a thin and deserted house of go members.

The feffion was terminated August 11, 1789, by a speech from the lord chancellor in the name of the sovereign; in which it was obferved, " that although the good offices of the king and his allies had not been effectual for the restoration of the general tranquillity, the fituation of affairs promised to this country the uninterrupted enjoyment of the blessings of peace." This was an affurance highly and peculiarly grateful, in consequence of the recent events which had taken place in the different kingdoms of Europe. A war had been kindled, which gradually diffused itself from the Euxine to the Baltic from the snow-clad mountains of Norway to the arid waftes of Tartary: and the foundations of a great and stupendous revolution had been laid, which, almost instantly expanding itself into gigantic growth, became the subject of terror, no less than of astonishment, to the furrounding nations.

Never was Europe more deceived than in the ideas the had originally formed of the character of the emperor Joseph II, upon whom, on his first entrance into the grand scenes of public life, all eyes were fixed, and under whose specious exterior the credulous enthusiasm of hope had difcovered all the qualities of a legislator and a hero. And he was confidently announced as the monarch destined to throw the splendid reputation of Frederic the great into shade.

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shade. Time however foon dispelled these false and flattering prepoffeffions; and he was perceived to be equally deftitute of the talents and the virtues neceffary to the formation of a great and illustrious character. Burning with an infatiable thirst for GLORY, that moloch of princes, at whose bloody shrine millions of human victims have been offered, his mind seemed eternally harassed and haunted with the enquiry, "What shall I do to be for ever known?"

While that justly celebrated statesman the prince de Kaunitz retained his influence over the councils of the court of Vienna, a veil was cast over the vices and defects of the fovereign. But as he advanced in life, and began to act upon his own ideas, and in reliance upon his own judgment, his vanity, his versatility, his rapacity, his rafhness, and his folly became apparent to all. Disappointed in his recent and favorite fchemes of ambition, his evil genius now suggested another project still more abfurd and impracticable than the former.

Since the famous treaty of Westphalia, by which the independency of Holland had been recognized by Spain, that haughty power, sensible of the erroneous policy which had lost so valuable a poffeffion, adopted, with relation to the provinces which yet remained, a mild and lenient fyftem of government. On the transfer of the low countries to the house of Austria by the treaty of Utrecht, the fame equitable treatment was observed; and that no less under the weak and oppreffive reign of Charles VI, than the aufpicious and benign government of his daughter the celebrated Maria Therefa.

During all the viciffitudes of politics and of power, the Austrian Netherlands continued to flourish under the protection of their own just laws, and the limitations of their free and happy constitution. Of the provinces subject to Austria, by far the most confiderable and extenfive is Brabant; and although the forms of government established

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in the different states bear a close analogy to each other, the constitution of Brabant is regarded as the best defined and most perfect. Like the conftitution of England, it is compounded of three estates, and the executive authority is vested in the sovereign, who bears the title of duke of Brabant. The legislative power, including the important prerogative of levying taxes, refides in the states of Brabant, which is in part an elective and representative afsembly, though not conftructed on a very popular plan. The jurisdiction of civil and criminal causes is in the cities configned to the magistrates, under various equitable reftrictions. In the villages it nominally appertains to the lords of the manors or baronies; but it is in fact exercised by respectable persons, chosen for the most part by the inhabitants themselves, from whose decifion an appeal lies to the baronial courts. The fupreme tribunal of juftice is established at Bruffels, and it is distinguished by the appellation of the council of Brabant. Its functions are not however merely judicial. It is also a council of state, and participates largely in the executive power-for no act of the sovereign is valid till confirmed by the council under the great feal of Brabant. These and many other privileges were after long and fierce contentions guaranteed for ever to the people of Brabant, by a charter granted by one of the ancient dukes, and which, from the triumphal preceffion of the prince into his capital, on the original execution of it, is denominated the JOYEUSE ENTREE.

The acuteness of philosophical and political theorists would no doubt detect with ease the gross defects of this rude and artless sketch of a free constitution. But its general and effential excellence is sufficiently demonstrated by the profperous state of the country, and the paffionate attachment of the people to their established form of government. This free form of government Joseph the second had from deliberate malice, or, more candidly speaking, from excess of presumption and folly, determined to fubvert

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