Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

and we had the hiftory of three feffions, filled with the most interesting matter, to recount. In that time, befides the change of one administration, and the appointment of another (measures which in both cafes were attended with new and extraordinary circumftances) an unexpected and fignal revolution took place in the state of parties, interefts, and public opinions, throughout the kingdom. In this courfe of things, fome new, and many great conftitutional questions were agitated.

The complex and intricate ftate of Eaft India affairs, and the long courfe of enquiry which they produced, were not the leaft difficult or arduous parts of our task. In treating this fubject, we were pledged, and indeed neceffarily bound, to take a retrofpective view of the proceedings in parliament relative to the Company, from the time that the Secret and the Select Indian Committees were appointed by the Houfe of Commons in the year 1781, to the period which comes properly within the line of our narrative.

Whatever other effect our new experiment may produce, it will at least afford a proof of our difinterestednefs, and a teftimony of the high fenfe which we entertain of our obligations to the Public: Our publisher having liberally facrificed his own emolument in giving the double volume without any additional expence, and we having, no lefs chearfully, bestowed our labour and time for the fame purpose.

THE

ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEARS, 1784 and 5.

**

THE

HISTORY

O F

EUROPE.

CHAP. I.

Decree

Retrospective view of the general affairs of Europe for the year 1780. Emperor. Great fchemes of reform and regulation. Some general offervations on them Decree for extending the liberty of the prefs. in favour of the Jews. Ordinances striking at the authority of the court of Rome. Oftenfible caufes, and political motives, for the Emperor's journey to the Low Countries in the year 1781. Ill confequences of the war in which Holland was engaged, and of the new political fyftem adopted by that Republic. Refumption of the Dutch Barrier among the principal objects of the Emperor's journey. Obfervations on that measure. Barrier refigned, and the fortreffes difmantled. Alarm occafioned thereby in Holland. Great benefis derived by the Auftrian Netherlands, from becoming the medium of British Commerce, in confequence of the war between the maritime powers. Sudden rife of Oftend to commercial importance through the fame caufe. Great favours conferred by the Emperor upon the city and people of Oftend. Declares the port free; orders a bafon to be conftructed; grants ground for building to foreign fettlers; and places of public worship to the Proteftant. Emperor examines the obftructions to the navigation of the Scheldt, and wifits Holland. Returns to Vienna. Various wife and humane regulations adopted in the course of the years 1781 and 1782. Enlargement of religious liberty to the Protestants-of civil liberty to the peasants of Bohemia, Moravia, Silefia, and Austrian Poland, who are difcharged from their ancient flavery to the lords. Free exercife of their religion, with other advantages, granted by the Elector of VOL. XXVII.

[4]

Saxony

Saxony to the Roman Catholics in his dominions. Inquifition abolished by the Grand Due of Tuscany. Universities reformed by the Emperor. Allots fchools for the education of foldiers children. Micafures for rendering the city of Trifle a great comm.rcial Emporium. Emperor lends four millions of florins to the merchants of that city. Suppreffion of religious boufes in the Auftrian dominions. Ecclefiaftics in the Antrian Netherlands difcharged from all foreign jurisdiction. Imperial refcript, disclaiming all jub rdination, in fcular affairs, to the Holy See. Supprion of religious borfes in the Duchy of Milan. Alarm at Kome. Correfpondence between th Pope and the Emperor. Journey of the Sovereign Ponuff, Pius the Sixth from Rome to Vienna. Received with great honours by the Emperor and Court; but fails in the objects of his journey. Returns to Rome. Reform of the religious orders continued; and extended to the Hierarchy, and fecular Clergy, as well as to the Regulars. Commiffion for adminifiering the fequefiered eftates; the produce diftined to public purposes. Obfervations and Brittures of foreigners on fame of theje tranfactions.

HILE the four great mariexhaufting their firength and facrificing their fubjects in that war, to which the revolt of the British co. lonies in America gave rife, and which in its progrefs fpread fuch defolation through both the Old and the New world, the emperor of Germany was more happily employed, in cultivating the arts of peace, in the improvement of his widely extended dominions, and in eftablishing upon fure and permanent foundations the power, and confequently the fecurity, of his empire.

In the laudable purfuit of thefe objects, he was not contented with adhering to the beaten tracks marked out by others, or of waiting the diftant effect of flow and progreflive fchemes of improvement. The fertile and active mind of this prince, embracing at once a multitude of objects, would carry every thing directly to that ultimate point of perfection which it held confiantly in view: as if ruminating on the fhortnefs of human life, he had determined to eftablish his de

figns fo fpeedily, as not only,, if

place them out of the reach of future contingencies, but to obtain a pro

ability, if he lived, of participating in the benefits he intended for his country. He was accordingly inceffantly occupied in framing,adopting, examining or carrying into execution, numberless projects of regulation and improvement, of lefs or greater importance, but including fome of fuch magnitude, as went to the effential reform of the firft departments of the ftate and government, whether ecclefiaftical, civil, or military. This tatk, fufliciently arduous in itfelf, was rendered ftill more difficult by the nature of his dominions, compof d as they are of feparate kingdoms, and a number of distinct provinces, obtained by different means, and at different periods, fubject to their own p cu iar forms of government, and ftill retaining many of their original rights and inflitutions.

It would have been contrary to all experience, and confequently to human nature itfelf, (of which experience is our only evidence) if fuch,

and

and fo many schemes of reform, militating with popular opinions, national practices, and tending direaly to overthrow eftablishments now venerable by their antiquity, and which has been confidered as facred in their inftitution, could have been carried into effect, with out at leaft exciting much diffatisfaction and complaint, and without winging the fhafts of cenfure, and giving energy to them, if not to more dangerous weapons. All thefe effects, except the laft, the purfuit of these measures indeed produced: nor were the terrors of punishment, the dangers of which were multiplied by the great rewards held out for the difcovery of offenders, fuf. ficient to prevent the bittereft libels upon the emperor from being circulated even in his capital. But the mischief went no farther; and this prince proceeded in the establish. ment of his new regulations, with unexampled facilicity and fuccefs. Nor indeed was obfervation confined to the harsher part of criticifm. Foreigners, being under no reftraint, have been equally free in both refpects; but it may be fup. pofed, that religious and political prejudices have had fome thare in dictating both their praifes and their frictures: for who, in the great European republic, can be totally unconcerned in these subjects?

It has been urged. on one fide, that the spirit of reform is too vio. lent in this prince: and that, though in fome inftances it might have been directed to proper objects, yet, that in general it feemed rather to degenerate into a paffion for innovation, than to be the cool refult of a comprehenfive knowledge and due confideration of things, guided by prudent and practicable views

of improvement. They faid, that he fet out too rapidly to be able to maintain his career. That his hafty, indigefted fchemes, involved in their formation the principles of diffolution; that they militated with each other; were in many refpects contrary to natural juftice, and highly oppreffive; that fome of them warred fo directly against the opinions and feelings of man. kind, that they were already of neceflity abandoned. Nor did even the meaiures which he purfued in the regulation and conduct of his vaft armies, and on which he was fuppofed particularly to reft his fame, efcape the cenfure of military critics, either at home or abroad.

It is, however, to be remembered, that the Herculean task of reformation requires very peculiar properties and qualities. That the degrees of fervour, zeal, and fertility of defign, effentially neceffary to conftitute a reformer, frequently lead him to overshoot his objects; but that without these, and other correfponding difpofitions and propenfities, be feldom or ever could reach them. That nearly all fuccefsful reformers have accordingly erred in the fame manner, and fallen into a fimilar excefs. And with refpect to military affairs, it is to be obferved, that it is of the very nature of difcipline, to produce a tenacious adherence to forms, and of course an animolity to innovation. To which it may be added, that the diffatisfactions inevitable in all armies, and more particularly in fuch vaft hofts, from the great variety of tempers and characters they include, mutt throw many impediments in the way of reformation.

Upon the whole it may be fuf[4] 2 pected,

pected, that the too hafty adoption of his projects, the multiplicity of them, and the endeavour to carry them at once into execution, were among the principal errors of this prince. But it muft at the fame time be acknowledged, even fuppofing the juftnefs of thefe and other objections admitted, that the emperor has, within the fmall number of years that have elapfed fince he arrived at undivided power by the death of his mother, made wonderful advances towards the improvement of various parts of his dominions; that he has done great and praife-worthy things for the benefit, fecurity, and happiness of his fubjects in general, as well as of particular claffes and orders; and that he has made great and effential reforms in feveral departments of the flate and government, however the utility of fome of his regulations may yet be thought queftionable.

Rome; with the fuppreffion of the religious orders, and the appropriation of their property, were among the great and determined objects of the emperor's policy.

A liberal extenfion to the liberty of the prefs, which had hitherto been much circumfcribed in the Auftrian dominions, feemed in fome degree an opening to fucceeding events, and might be confidered as throwing fome light upon views which were not otherwife revealed. The order or decree for this purpose was alfo written by the emperor's own hand, and was published early in the year 1781. By one of the articles he allowed a free circulation, without examination or licence, to all thofe literary reviews of various publications, with which Germany, from the number of its ftates, of its public fchools and univerfities, and the great differences with refpect to religious and political principles or opinions, more particularly abounds than any other country. Even the fubject of ecclefiaftical history is left open by this article. By another, he permits that all frictures upon the conduct of the throne itself might be published with full fecurity; providing only, that they do not defcend to the character of pafquinades or abfolute libels. Upon this fubject he expreffes himfelf with a noble magnanimity" If "there be any thing juft in them,

A liberal difpofition with refpect to religious toleration was early to be expected, from the character and general conduct of this prince; and little doubt was accordingly entertained but that it would be freely difplayed, whenever the power was lodged folely in his own hands. Other parts of his difpofition and policy, particularly with refpect to ecclefiaftical matters, continued yet unknown and unfufpected, even for fome time after the demife of the emprefs" (he fays) we fhall profit by them; queen. But the years 1781 and 1782 "if not, we fhall difregard them." removed the veil that covered his -He likewife permits the free pubdefigns in this refpect; and it foon lication of all political news-papers became apparent, that the reducing and pamphlets without exception; the exorbitant power of the clergy and the difcuffion even of religious within his own dominions; the fe fubjects is admitted, with only this vering and emancipating them from refervation, that fuch writings all dependence on the court o fhould not attack, in any of their

funda

« ПредишнаНапред »