Administration of Government, in cafe the Crown fhould defcend to a Minor: and the princefs dowager of Wales was appointed regent of Great Britain and Ireland, affifted by a council composed of the great officers of state, the duke of Cumberland prefiding at the head. This was á hazardous and dangerous plan, which, had it been carried into effect, would have laid the foundation of a divided and diftracted government. Happily, however, the king lived till his fucceffor attained to the age of majority, and the Regency Bill, which was justly and strongly opposed in parliament, funk unnoticed into filence and oblivion.

Amongst the most remarkable bills of the present session was that introduced by the earl of Chesterfield for the Reformation of the Calendar, notwithstanding the previous and avowed difapprobation of the duke of Newcastle, who declared himself "averfe to disturb that which was at reft;" adding, "that he did not love new-fangled things." The bill, however, was received with general applause, and was supported in the house of peers by the earl of Macclesfield, with a display of profound and scientific knowledge which reflected upon that nobleman the highest honor, as the fucceffor to the chair of NEWTON, and prefident of the most learned society in Europe. The Julian computation of time, either from ignorance or negligence, supposing a complete folar revolution to be effected in the precise period of 365 days and fix hours, made no provision for the apparently trifling deficiency of eleven minutes, which, however, in the lapfe of fifteen centuries, amounts to a difference of eleven days. A reformation of the calendar had been accomplished in the fixteenth century, under the aufpices of pope Gregory XIII.; but the authority of the Roman pontiff extending over the catholic countries only, the ancient computation ftill continued in ufe in England and the other northern kingdoms. But by the bill now intro'duced, it was decreed that the new year should begin in conformity to the Gregorian reform, on the firft of January,

and

and that eleven intermediate nominal days, between the second and fourteenth of September, 1752, fhould be omitted, fo that the day fucceeding the fecond fhould be denominated the fourteenth of that month-au alteration not lefs favorable to commercial than to aftronomical accu racy and precision,

Frederic, king of Sweden, and landgrave of Heffe Caf fel, dying at this period, was fucceeded agreeably to the convention formerly made with Russia, by Adolphus Frederic, duke of Holstein Eutin, bishop of Lubec-married to the fifter of his Pruffian majefty. This prince, on his acceffion to the throne, took a voluntary oath in full senate, that he would never attempt to introduce a defpotic authority, but would maintain their liberties with his blood, and govern his subjects in all respects according to the laws and form of government established in Sweden. This declaration was peculiarly acceptable to the court of St. Petersburg, which had entertained jealous apprehenfions that the intrigues of the French and Pruffian factions, for changing the form of government, were countenanced and fupported by the fucceffor-and had actually affembled an army on the frontiers of Finland, which menaced Sweden with invasion; declaring, at the fame time, her firm refolution to maintain inviolate that conftitution of which she was the guarantee. By this complaifant, or rather submiffive conduct, the harmony between the two countries appeared firmly confolidated. The political depreffion of Sweden, which was the neceffary confequence of the radical defects of her government, was in the highest degree favorable to the ambitious defigns of Ruffia; and, in conformity to the fame infidious and interested policy, the court of St. Petersburg will fuffer no improvement of the anarchic conftitution of Poland. A violent misunderstanding between the two courts of Petersburg and Berlin was the refult of their oppofing politics relative to the affairs of Sweden-his Pruflian majesty declaring his determination to defend

that

that kingdom with his whole force, cafe of an attack from Ruffia; and the ambaffadors on each fide were recalled. This misunderstanding, heightened by mutual criminations and reproaches into the most bitter animofity, after an interval of fome years, terminated in open rupture: and the king of Pruffia was taught, by fatal experience, to repent the grofs and wanton provocations by which he ventured to excite the refentment of the czarina. It is worthy of remark, that the fubfidies received, during the course of his reign, from England, by the late king of Sweden, in the mere capacity of landgrave of Heffe Caffel, on an accurate computation, amounted to the aftonishing sum of 1,249,6991. fterling. In the course of this year, 1751, alfo died Louisa, queen of Denmark, youngest daughter of his Britannic majefty, a princess endowed with every graceful and amiable accomplishment, and defervedly dear to the Danish monarch and nation. Nearly at the fame time, the United Provinces fuftained a public lofs by the death of his ferene highness the prince of Orange, who leaving only an infant fon, the administration of the government devolved upon the princefs of Orange, as governante, during the minority, in which station fhe conducted affairs with much prudence and ability. When the parliament met in November, 1751, the king informed them that he had, in conjunction with the states-general, whose intimate union and friendship with England had been in no degree impaired by the unfortunate death of the ftadtholder, concluded treaties with the electors of Bavaria and Saxony, in addition to those fubfifting with the electors of Mentz and Cologne; and another was soon afterwards happily adjufted with the elector palatine; and the

vast

Soon after the death of the king of Sweden, prince Frederic of Heffe Caffel, who had, in 1740, espoused the princess Mary, third daughter of the king of England, thought fit to renounce his religion, and declare himself a roman catholic, to the great injury of the protestant interest in the empire, and the general regret of the English nation and the proteítants throughout Europe.

vaft fums which these princes demanded as the purchase of their friendship were cheerfully and loyally voted at the requifition of the court. The immediate object of these alliances was to secure a majority of the voices of the electoral college, in the view of an approaching election of a king of the Romans in the perfon of the archduke Jofeph, eldest fon of the emperor: for this prince having yet fcarcely paffed the years of infancy, it was reasonably to be apprehended, that this favorite project might, in the execution, be attended with embarraffment and difficulty. A vigorous, however, if not a formidable refiftance was made in the house of commons to the ratification of these treaties by parliament. For fome years paft lord Egmont had been regarded as the head of the anti-courtiers-a nobleman whofe knowledge and talents were confiderably above mediocrity, but whofe oppofition was too palpably indifcriminate and perfonal; and the voice of the minority in the house of commons was no longer the voice of the majority of the people. This was an occafion, however, which furnished his lordship with a wide fcope for argument as well as invective. He declared himself " an enemy to all fubfidytreaties in time of peace. The views and circumstances of princes and states were perpetually changing, and their decifions would ever be influenced by prefent interests, and not past obligations, of which," he said, "we had full proof during the last war in the conduct of the Danes and Heffians, the former of whom deferted us, and the latter had actually engaged against us. By entering into treaties of this nature, without the previous authority of parlia ment, he acknowledged the house was indeed reduced to a disagreeable dilemma-they muft either expofe their fovereign to the contempt of foreign powers, or they must facrifice the interests of their conftituents by impofing unneceffary burdens upon the country. But of two evils he would choose the leaft, by refufing the fubfidies, and endeavor to vindicate the honor of the fovereign by punishing

thofe

those ministers who advised such pernicious measures." Sir John Hynde Cotton forcibly remarked, "that France was one of the guarantees of the treaty of Weftphalia, and confequently of the liberties and conftitution of the German empire; and our thus granting fubfidies to the electors will furnish her with a plaufible pretext for afferting that the liberties of the empire are invaded by means of bribery and corruption; and may incite her to affume the character of the defender of the Germanic conftitution against such fcandalous attempts. With regard, therefore, to the election of a king of the Romans, he was of opinion that the German princes ought to be left entirely to themselves; and that the wifeft courfe England could take was, by the eftablishment of an economical fyftem and the effectual reduction of the national debt, to prepare for a future war whenever a real and national neceffity to engage in a war fhould be proved to exist." It was alfo urged, in the course of the debate," that motives of policy no lefs than of œconomy militated against the granting of thefe fubfidies; for, when we have taken the whole electoral college into pay, they will certainly, for the fake of having the fubfidies renewed and continued, put off from time to time, on fuch pleas as can never be wanting, the election until the death of the present emperor; for, fhould the election be once made, the fubfidies will of course ceafe. By the officious and invidious interpofition of Great Britain," it was affirmed to be too probable, that "an inteftine war in the empire might be not prevented, as was alleged by the partifans of the court, but excited for the other two colleges of the diet would certainly join with France in protesting against the validity of an election fo circumftanced; in which cafe, it might be reasonably expected that fome of the electors themselves, who now fo readily accepted our bribes, might be bribed to act against us. The goodness of his majesty's intentions no one prefumed to doubt; but to compliment, in the mode now propofed, the depth of his wisdom, or the

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