boating little advantage over Mr. Fox in the estimation of the public, and poffeffing much lefs of the confidence of the court. The most confiderable controversy which took place in the house of commons, during the feffion immediately fucceeding the conclusion of the peace, was occafioned by fome important innovations in the annual mutiny bill, particularly the final claufe, by which martial law was extended to all officers on half pay, and which, by extending in the fame proportion the influence of the crown, might in its consequences, as the oppofition affirmed, prove very dangerous to the conftitution. But Mr. Pitt defended the clause, which was ultimately carried by a confiderable majority, as a neceffary extension of military disciplineurging, in order to obviate the alarm of danger, "that the very existence of English liberty muft, and did, actuálly depend upon the moderation of the fovereign, and the virtue of the army. To that virtue," said he, « we trust even at this hour, fmall as our army is to that virtue we muft have trufted in whatever manner this bill had been modelled; and without this virtue, fhould the lords, the commons, and the people of England, entrench themfelves behind parchment up to the teeth, the fword will find a paffage to the vitals of the conftitution." Certainly a more forcible argument could not be found to demonstrate the neceffity of reducing that army, and of diminifhing that influence, which the claufe in queftion was calculated to confirm and increafe.At this period, a plan was formed and carried into execution, chiefly under the patronage and direction of the earl of Halifax, first lord of trade and plantations, for the establishment of a colony on the peninfula of Acadie. By the treaty of Utrecht this peninfula, originally fettled by the French, was ceded, with the entire province of Nova Scotia, to the English. But the fmall town and fortrefs of Annapolis, Situated in the midst of the French fettlers, excepted, no trace trace appeared of its being an English poffeffion. By the plan now adopted, it was determined to found a city on the opposite or eastern fide of the peninfula, to which the name of Halifax was given, on a spot commodiously fituated, and with the advantage of a fecure and excellent harbor. This colony, though viewed by the French with jealous eyes, being primarily defigned for a military station, and subjected, by an unpardonable error in the original plan, to a military and despotic form of government, did not answer the high expectations excited by it: but of late years, in confequence of many judicious regulations and unexpected changes, it has rifen rapidly in commercial and political importance. From the firm establishment of peace, the extenfion of commerce, and the accumulation of wealth, the public funds, all or the far greater part of which bore the fame intereft of four per cent. now rose so much above par, as to make it practicable for the minifter to bring forward a grand measure of finance, which, however daring in appearance, was attended with no difficulty in the execution. This was no other than an improvement of the scheme formerly offered to parliament by fir John Bernard, to liquidate all the redeemable annuities, comprehending almost the whole of the public debts, by an immediate payment of the principal. This propofal was, however, attended with an alternative which the minifter well knew it was the intereft of the stock-holder to accept. An option was allowed by the act, either to receive the entire amount of the debt, at par, i. e. at a discount of more than thirty per cent. below the actual transfer price, or to confent to a reduction of the intereft from four to three and a half per cent. for seven years, and afterwards to remain at three per cent. This had all the effect and operation of a tax of twenty-five per cent. upon the public funds, and it was a blow moft severely felt by very many families in the middle claffes of life, whofe property was confided confided to the faith of government. Yet no violation of the public faith could be pretended; for, in conformity to the original terms of the agreement, the perpetual annuities were at all times redeemable by the government at par. A very great proportion, therefore, of the public creditors affented, however reluctantly, to the terms of the minifter. The three great chartered companies, nevertheless, and various individual proprietors of stock, to the amount of eight or ten millions, refufed to fubfcribe. But Mr. Pelham, encouraged by the general success of his project, now affumed an higher tone; and he declared that, as they had suffered the time prescribed by the act to elapfe, they should no longer be admitted to take advantage of the terms originally offered. But, that their obftinacy and ignorance might not be too rigorously punished, he would now propofe a fecond fubfcription, in which the reduction of the intereft from three and a half to three per cent. should take place at the end of five years. Upon reconfideration, the bank, the East India company, and South Sea company, and the individual proprietors who had concurred with them, and were probably influenced by their authority to reject with disdain the former propofition, unanimously thought proper to accept of the favor and indulgence now offered, and the plan of the minister was carried into complete execution, not only with reputation but triumph. But it is remarkable, that no effort was at any time made by Mr. Pelham for the re-establishment of the finking fund, as originally propofed by fir Robert Walpole, a measure of much greater efficacy, though of lefs eclat, than this boasted scheme of reduction. About this time, an act of parliament also paffed for the encouragement of the British fisheries, by which a company was incorporated, in order to carry into effect the purposes of the act. But as the veffels defigned to rendezvous at the found of Braffa were, according to this project, project, to be fitted out at the port of London, to mertion no other of its numerous defects, it was clearly forefeen, and peremptorily foretold, that the fcheme would prove abortive. Various efforts have fince been made, at different times, to revive the public attention to this national concern, but with little fuccefs. And it yet remains for fome future able and patriotic minifter to adopt a grand and comprehensive plan, for the accomplishment of this most important and laudable object. Had a tenth part of the immenfe fums diffipated and fquandered in Italian and German fubfidies been employed in erecting towns, forming canals, building veffels, and procuring implements, in order to carry on the fisheries to advantage upon the fpot, the Highlands of Scotland might, at this day, have exhibited a smiling scene of industry and plenty, instead of presenting to our view the cheerlefs aspect of poverty and wretchedness, or rather the hideous picture of folitude and defolation. Philip V. of Spain, whofe partiality to France feemed to increase with increasing years, being now deceased, and his fon and fucceffor Ferdinand cherishing a fincere defire to maintain a perfect amity with Great Britain, a treaty or convention was this year concluded at Madrid, between don Jofeph de Carvajal, the Spanish minister, and Mr. Keene, the English envoy, by which the points referred to the decifion of commiffaries, by the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, were finally terminated, and the commercial privileges of the English nation fully restored. No mention, however, and much less any direct renunciation, was made of the right of fearch claimed by the Spaniards, and which was the original caufe of the war. And when this omiffion was ftrongly urged by the oppofition in parliament, as inconfiftent with the pofitive declaration of the two houfes at the commencement of the war, who concurred in an addrefs to the throne, that no treaty of peace with Spain fhould be admitted unless fuch renunciation renunciation fhould be firft obtained as a preliminary, Mr. Pitt, who had been a strenuous advocate for this address, offered an apology for his conduct, as a minister of the crown concurring in the measures now the fubject of cenfure, somewhat novel and fingular. "He acknowledged that he had contended strongly for the addrefs alluded to, becaufe at that time, being young and fanguine, he thought it right and reasonable. But he was now ten years older, had confidered matters more coolly, and was convinced that the privilege of no fearch with refpect to British veffels failing near the American fhore, would never be obtained unlefs Spain fhould be brought fo low as to acquiefce in any terms we, as victors, might propose." This was a virtual vindication of the conduct and principles of the late minister, fir Robert Walpole, in his negotiations with Spain, againft which Mr. Pitt had fo often and fo eloquently declaimed; and fuch an avowal could only be regarded as an involuntary fpecies of homage paid to the memory of that fagacious and able ftatesman. In the course of the prefent fummer, 1750, died don Juan V. king of Portugal; a prince not deftitute of ability, but tainted with a wretched spirit of bigotry and persecution. He was fucceeded by his fon don Jofeph, at whofe acceffion the infanta Ifabella became heirefs to the crown. And, in order to preferve the fceptre of Portugal in the houfe of Braganza, this princefs, by virtue of a papal difpenfation, was married to her uncle, the infant don Pedro, brother to the king; the first iffue of which nuptials, Jofeph Xavier, prince of Brazil, while of an age yet immature, was, by a similar alliance-an alliance at which nature and custom equally revolt-married to his aunt donna Maria, filter to Habella, the prefent queen. In confequence of the death of his royal highnefs the prince of Wales, a Bill was prefented by the duke of New. caftle to the houfe of peers, May 1751, to provide for the Adminiftration |