Early in the present year (1795), lord Am BOOK herst retiring full of years and honors from public life, his royal highness the duke of York was 1795. appointed commander-in-chief and field-marshal general of the forces of Great-Britain, The duke of Richmond was removed from his post of master of the ordnance, in which he was suc ceeded by earl, recently created marquis, Cornwallis; and sir William Howe was nominated, in the place of the latter nobleman, governor and lieutenant of the Tower of London.

from the

London,

wich, &c.

war.

About the same time a petition was presented Petitions to the house of commons from the city of Lon- cities of don, in common-hall assembled, deploring in York, Norstrong terms the disastrous effects of the war. against the "Your petitioners conceive (say they) that none of the ends proposed by the present war either have been, or appear likely to be, obtained, al though it has been carried on at an unprecedented expense to this country. Your petitioners, from their present view of public measures, presume humbly but firmly to express to this honorable house their decided conviction, that the principle upon which the war appears now to be carried on neither is nor can be essential to the prosperity, the liberty, or the glory, of the British empire. Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that this honorable house, disclaiming all right of interfering in the internal

BOOK concerns of France, will be pleased to take such

XXI.

1795.

Disturb

measures as they in their wisdom shall think proper for the purpose of promoting a speedy peace." The cities of York, Norwich, and some others, followed the example of London; but these petitions were not sufficiently general to produce any very sensible effect; and counterpetitions were obtained by the partizans of ministry, in which a confident reliance was expressed on the wisdom of the government to set on foot, at the proper period, such negotiations as might lead to the restoration of peace.

In the month of July some serious riots, conances in the tinuing for several successive days, took place in city of Westmin- London, occasioned by the discovery of some

ster.

shameful practices which had been long prevalent, but which were subsequently and effectually reformed by the excellent regulations of the present royal commander-in-chief, of inveigling men into his majesty's service. Emboldened by the little opposition they met with, the populace, who had long shewn a marked aversion to Mr. Pitt, conceiving, upon no rational ground, that he had authorized or countenanced these abuses, repaired to his house in Downing-street, the windows of which they demolished, and were proceeding to further violence, when they were informed that the affrightened minister had escaped by the park-gate to

the Horse-Guards; and on the arrival of the BOOK military they were, not without some difficulty,

at length dispersed..

r

XXI..

1795.

The forgotten business of the Pop-gun Plot, Pop-gun

as it was generally and ludicrously styled, was plot revived, revived in the autumn of this year; and one Crossfield, a surgeon, who had been for some time a prisoner in the town of Brest, was apprehended on suspicion of being concerned in this dark conspiracy. It appeared, on examination before the privy-council, that this man, whose intercourse with the other plotters, Higgins, Smith, and Le Maitre, was proved by the testimony of the infamous informer Upton, had boasted (probably hoping to ingratiate himself with the Jacobins with whom he was surrounded, and contrary to truth) that he had been accused of being concerned in this affair; and affected to drop some mysterious expressions relating to it. Crossfield was upon this sent, by warrant of the privy-council, to the Tower; and Higgins, Smith, and Le Maitre, were re-committed, and at length, with Crossfield, brought to trial; when, upon a full investigation of the evidence on the part of the crown, which amounted to little more than vague and contradictory hear-says, the prisoners were acquitted by verdicts which gave universal satisfaction. It nevertheless appears by no means improbable, that some loose and

XXI.

BOOK licentious discourse had passed amongst them as to the practicability of succeeding in such a ro1795. mantic and criminal attempt..

Popular

meetings at

vast multi

Great apprehensions had been excited in the

tended by course of the year by divers assemblages of the populace, convened very improperly, if not illeFarm, &c. gally, by the Corresponding Society, which still

tudes at Chalk

regularly continued its meetings. The most remarkable of these was on the 26th of October, in a field near Copenhagen-House, in the vici nity of the village of Pancras. The number here convened did not, as was supposed, amount to less than 40,000 persons; whose conduct, notwithstanding, upon this occasion, was decent and orderly. But where multitudes are collected, mischief may always be reasonably feared. Some of the orators of the society harangued the populace; and an address and remonstrance to his majesty being unanimously voted, they dispersed peaceably to their respective homes.

END OF VOLUME IX.