ANNUAL REGISTER, OR GENERAL REPOSITORY OF HISTORY, POLITICS, AND LITERATURE, For the YEAR 1796. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, The HISTORY of KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING, and TASTE, in GREAT BRITAIN, during the Commonwealth, and the Ufurpation of CROMWELL. LONDON, Printed for G. G. and J. ROBINSON Pater-nofter-Row. MDCCXCVII. PREFACE. As no alteration has taken place in the conduct of the New Annual Regifter; and as the little cavils which have been raised against it by interested perfons, have been completely filenced by time and experience, which have fanctioned our opinions, there is little to be faid in presenting to our readers a new volume. Our Domestic History will be found to be chiefly occupied, this year, by the very interefting debates of parliament on the celebrated bills which produced fo material an alteration in our fyftem of law concerning treafon and fedition,-on the conduct of the war,-and on the finances of the nation. In this department of the work, we have pursued our ufual mode, that of bringing together all the debates on every particular topic, in order to present to the reader the most complete and fatisfactory view of the arguments on every subject. The flightest inspection of our Foreign History will convince our readers that it is not compiled from newfpapers, or from any common fources of intelligence. It will, therefore, in many respects, be found to differ from the accounts now generally received. We We can, how ever, affure the public, that it is not the less genuine and authentic for that; and we can further affure them, that we have never prefumed to differ from the common and official accounts, but where our information proceeded from fo fuperior an authority as to leave not a doubt but that it was right. Some explanation will alfo be found in this volume, of certain political transactions, which have appeared in a mysterious light to most persons; but these affairs will be still more amply elucidated in our next volume. On the literary parts of this volume, the ufual at¬ tention has been bestowed; and we truft they will not be found inferior to our former endeavours in these departments. CON H Great Britain. Short Retrofpect of political Transactions from the Commence ment of the War. Humiliating Propofals of the French Republic to appeafe the Refentment of the British Cabinet. Offer on the Part of the Republic to relinquish her Colonies to Great Britain, as the Price of Neutrality. State of Affairs at the Conclufion of 1795. Meetings of the Correfponding So- ciety. Outrages offered to the King in his Way to and from the House of Lords. Examination of Witnesses at the Bar of the Houfe. Proclamation for apprehending the Offenders. Proclamation against Seditious Meetings. Lord Grenville's Motion in the Lords for a Bill for the Prefervation of his Majesty's Perfon and Government. Debate on that Motion. Bill read a fecond Time. Mr. Pitt's Motion in the House of Commons for a Bill to prevent Seditious Meetings and Affemblies. Warm Debate on that Bill. Mr. Fox's Motion for a Call of the Houfe. Mr. Dundas's Declaration that the two Bills had been in Contemplation before the Outrage against the King. Debates in the Lords on the Commitment of Lord Grenville's Bill. Amendments propofed by the Duke of Leeds and Earl of Lauderdale. Lord Grenville's Bill paffed in the House of Lords. Public Meetings in Oppofition to the two Bills. Lord Grenville's Bill read a first Time in the Houfe of Commons. Mr. Sheridan's Motion for an Inquiry concerning Seditious Meetings. Further Debates in the Commons on Lord Grenville's Bill Debates on Mr. Pitt's Bill-in the House of Commons—in the Hovfe of Lords. Reflections on thefe Bills. Never yet acted upon by Ministry, 3 1796. СНАР. |