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1778. ment of his debts, and fettled an honorable income upon

his posterity.

The duke of Richmond's proposed address was rejected by a great majority. But a protest was figned upon the occafion by twenty peers, wherein they condemned, with the utmoft freedom and afperity of language, the defign to perfift in the measures carried on

in the colonies.

April A French fquadron, which had for feveral months 13. been equipping at Toulon, failed from that port under

4.

the command of count d'Eftaing. It confifted of twelve fhips of the line, and four frigates of fuperior fize. Mr. Silas Deane, and Mr. Gerard, who has been appointed the French minifter to congrefs, were on board. On May the 4th of May authentic intelligence of its failing arrived at St. James's. Some of the minifters happening to be out of town, the cabinet could not meet till the fixth; when orders and inftructions were inftantly dif patched to Portsmouth; and on the next day all hands were employed in preparing for the immediate failing of a powerful squadron. On Friday the 8th the wind changed to the weft, and it was not till the 20th, that admirals Byron and Hyde Parker failed from Portsmouth with twelve fhips of the line: but the British ministers not knowing whither count d'Eftaing's fquadron was deftined, nor that Deane and Gerard were on board, they sent an express to stop their final failing till further orders, fo that they put into Plymouth. At length being relieved from their doubts by the 5th of June, they determined to fend admiral Byron to America, and at the fame time to give him the command on that station, by fending with him, that leave to return which lord

Howe had defired; and on the 9th the admiral failed $778 from Plymouth. Lord Howe had been deceived into his command; had been deceived while in the exercise of it; and being tired and disgusted, had required permiffion to refign *.

General Burgoyne landed at Portsmouth.

On his 13

arrival at London, he foon discovered, that he was no longer an object of court favor. He was refused admiffion to the royal prefence; and from thence experienced all those marks of being in difgrace, which are fo well understood, and fo quickly perceived by the retainers and followers of courts.

Sir George Saville moved for leave to bring in a bill 14 for the repeal of certain penalties and difabilities provided in an act of the 10th and 11th of William III. entitled an act to prevent the further growth of popery. He proposed that a fufficient teft might be formed, by which the papists should bind themselves to the support of the civil government by law established. The motion was received with univerfal approbation. A bill was brought in and carried through both houfes with uncommon unanimity; miniftry and oppofition vied with each other in activity to forward it; the firft confidered it as a prelude to the employing of papists in the fleets and armies: that refpectable body, who called themfelves old whigs, took the lead avowedly in fupport of it; and the bench of bishops co-operated heartily with the other promoters of it: it was paffed without a single negative, and received the royal affent on the 27th of May. By this act the claufe in the act of William III. for profecuting of popish bishops, priests or jefuits, is * Lord Howe in the houfe of commons.

1778 repealed; alfo that for fubjecting papists keeping schools for the education of youth to perpetual imprisonment; and that likewife, which difables papifts from inheriting lands by defcent, and gives to the next of kin (being protestants) a right to inherit fuch lands; beside that which difables papifts from purchafing manors, lands or hereditaments, in England or Wales; but the act leaves all lands in poffeffion juft as they were, and all causes in litigation, as if it had never been made; and the benefits arifing from it, reft on the condition of taking a certain prescribed oath of allegiance within fix months of its paffing into a law.

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May Sir William Meredith obferved in the house of commons, that the British ministers had early and complete intelligence of the French preparations at Toulon. He faid, that on the 3d of January they had notice of the equipment; on the 8th of February they had advice of the number of ships that was to compofe the fquadron; and on the 28th of the fame month that the crews were all completed; and that they had early information of count d'Eftaing's arrival, and of the day on which he intended to fail, He moved, among other matters, that it did not appear to the house, that any orders were fent until the 29th of April, for any fleet of obfervation, to attend the motions of that from Toulon but the ftrength of miniftry was too great to admit of its being carried.

June

3.

On the 3d of June a period was put to the feffion of parliament; and on the 9th, the earl of Chatham's remains were honorably interred in Westminster Abbey at the public expence; at which also, a magnificent mo

nument has been ordered to be erected in the fame place 1778. to his remembrance.

Warlike preparations are going forward in every part of Great Britain; but the French have undoubtedly the start, and are in the greater forwardness. Admiral Keppel failed from St. Helen's on a cruise off Ufhant, with 13 twenty ships of the line; but not in that excellent order, nor fo well manned, as the critical fituation of affairs between the two nations appears to require.

What could not be mentioned in the order of time, muft now be related, that capt. Jones, of the Ranger privateer from Portsmouth in New Hampshire ftate, toward the end of April, landed in the night, at Whitehaven in Cumberland, a party of 30 men, and fet fire to one of the ships in the harbour: by the exertion of the inhabitants the flames were extinguished before they had reached the rigging. He afterward landed fome men on the western coaft of Scotland, and plundered the house of lord Selkirk, near Kirkubright, of plate, jewels and other valuable articles. He is a Scotchman by birth, and is faid to have lived formerly with his lordship.

You may expect from me the earliest intelligence of those important transactions, that are about to com mence in this quarter of the world.

1778.

LETTER IV.

FRIEND G.

TH

Rotterdam, Aug. 15, 1778.

HE French, to perplex the councils of the British court, affembled a multitude of regiments from all parts of the kingdom, and marched them down to the fea fide, where they formed large encampments oppofite to the fhores of Great Britain. These manœuvres occafioned the calling out and embodying of the militia of England upon the rifing of parliament. The militia being joined by the regular forces, camps were formed in different places: but the nation trufted moft to the navy.

My laft clofed with the account of admiral Keppel's having failed. He was defervedly in the highest esteem with his own profeffion, as well as the public. It was extremely proper therefore that he should be appointed to command that fleet, to which was committed the defence of the island, the protection of the homeward bound trade, and the prefervation of the dignity of the British flag in the adjoining feas. On his arrival at Portsmouth toward the end of March, he found matters very different from the opinion that had been generally circulated, and from what he himself had been led to expect. Inftead of a strong and well appointed fleet, he discovered to his aftonishment, that there were only fix fail of the line in any degree of condition for imme

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