respective ambassadors, ftrong memorials to the court of Verfailles, expreffive of their refolution not to fuffer this addition to the power of the French monarchy. In confequence of this fpirited language, the duc de Choifeul began to waver; and lord Rochford, in his difpatches tranfmitted at this period to England, feemed not to harbor a doubt that France would finally concede in every point required of her. Most unfortunately the duc de Choifeul received, at this critical moment, whether through treachery or grofs and unpardonable indifcretion is not clearly afcertainable, fatisfactory affurances that the cabinet of England would not, in the prefent circumftances, involve the nation in hoftilities on account of this object. Suddenly the language of the French court became haughty and peremptory, and breathed an air of hoftility and defiance. The English minifters, aftonished at this alteration, and at a lofs how to decide, fent, together with a confiderable fupply of arms and ammunition, a private meffage to general Paoli, defiring full information respecting the defence he was able to make, and how long he deemed that Corfica would be competent to refift the force employed on this fervice. General Paoli, instead of ingenuously acknowledging that the island muft fall without immediate and powerful fuccors from England, affirmed, that it could not be reduced in lefs than eighteen months; erroneously imagining perhaps, that to magnify the ftrength and resources of his country might be the most effectual means of inducing England to take a decided part in her favour. But while the English minifters were hefitating and deliberating, the French arms made a rapid and alarming progrefs; and Paoli, difcerning no fymptoms of vigor in the English counfels, thought proper to make a feafonable retreat, leaving his unfortunate country to its hard and unme→ rited fate. He was however well received by the court of London on his fubfequent arrival in England, and an amplepenfion was fettled upon him in reward of his heroifm, or, according according to the malicious construction of fome, as the guarantee of his filence. Parliament was convened early in the present year 1768; but nothing peculiarly interesting or important occurred in the course of the feffion, with the fingle exception of a bill introduced and patronised by the oppofition, under the denomination of the nullum tempus bill, for quieting the poffeffions of the fubject, and securing them from all obfolete and vexatious claims, with a particular view to the claims of the crown, against which it was held to be a maxim of law that no prescription could be pleaded. This bill originated in an incident of an extraordinary nature. The Portland family had, in confequence of a grant from king WILLIAM, posfeffed for seventy years the honor of Penrith and its appurtenances, fituated in the county of Cumberland. The forest of Inglewood, and the manor and caftle of Carlifle, being confidered as parts of this grant, were quietly enjoyed by the family for feveral defcents, under the fame tenure, though not particularly specified. Sir James Lowther, the fon-inlaw of lord Bute, being apprized of this omiffion, made a clandeftine application to the crown for a leafe of the premifes in question; and the furveyor-general of the crown lands, though no lawyer, nor acting on the opinion of any lawyer, took upon him to decide, that these estates were still vefted in the crown. Orders were therefore iffued for a new grant to Sir James Lowther, in which the foccage of Carlisle was rated at 50l. per annum, and the forest of Inglewood at 14s. 4d.; though in reality of immense value, and commanding an extensive election influence. When the board of treasury met, after a long adjournment, the duke of Portland prefented to the lords a memorial, in which he prayed to be heard by their lordships in defence of his title. He was informed that no ftep would be adopted to his prejudice, till an impartial investigation had taken place. But whilst the duke's agents and folicitors were employed in a laborious fearch into antient and mouldered minuments, furveys, furveys, and court-rolls, his grace was informed, that the grant was actually completed; and, notwithstanding the caveat entered into the court of exchequer, the chancellor lord North affixed the feal, in pursuance of a pofitive order from the lords of the treasury. When this most extraordinary business came under parliamentary difcuffion, the advocates of the court maintained, "that the premises in queftion were no part of the honor of Penrith, and that the refumption was therefore juftifiable ; that the family of Portland was fufficiently paid for any fervices which it might have rendered the nation; and after enjoying for the space of feventy years an eftate to which it had no right, it was faid they might now be contented to refign it into the hands of the true owner.' The oppofition indignantly replied, "that the revival of the obfolete and dormant prerogative of refumption, in the face of a long and uninterrupted prescription, was in the highest degree deteftable and alrrming;-that resumptions had been practifed only by the worst or most arbitrary of our princes, and even by them with caution, as fenfible of the general abhorrence which every act of that kind muft excite. The maxim on which they were founded, was afferted to be the difgrace of the prerogative, and the scandal of the law; and it could fcarcely have been imagined, that the most enlightened ages would revive a practice which the darkest times had held in deteftation. All the lands of the kingdom have been at different times in the hands of the fovereign, and a large proportion of them, from the lofs of authentic deeds, may be liable to fimilar claims; and thus the subject may be harrassed and ruined by frivolous and vexatious fuits, whenever he becomes obnoxious to an arbitrary miniftry. To ground a proceeding of this nature upon the mere report of the furveyorgeneral of the crown, unfupported by any authority of law, was reprobated as a mockery and infult, amounting to an evident abandonment of every principle of equity and justice. When our kings had little other fixed revenue than what arofe arofe from their demefne lands, refumptions might be more eafily deemed pardonable; but when a vast permanent revenue was fettled by parliament on the crown, the plea of neceffity is wholly precluded; not to mention that the referved rent was too contemptible a confideration to be supposed in the remotest degree to have influenced the refump, tion. This act is evidently a continuation of that vile and pernicious fyftem, which had its origin at the commence→ ment of the present reign; a fyftem, one of whose favorite objects it has been to affront and difgrace thofe families who were most strenuous in effecting the revolution, and in fecuring the throne to the houfe of Hanover." The minifters of the crown contented themfelyes with alleging, that farther time was neceffary for the full investigation of this bill, and a motion was made for the poftponement of it till the ensuing feffion. This was carried by a majority of 20 voices only; and, not to resume the subject, it may be here remarked, that the nullum tempus bill paffed fubfequently into a law; and thus the oppreffion of an individual, agreeably to the happy genius of the English conftitution, became the means of extending and securing the rights and liberties of the community at large. When this great cause was subsequently argued before the barons of the exchequer, the late grant was judged invalid, as contrary to the statute of queen Anne, which enacts, that, upon every grant, leafe, or affurance from the crown, the referyed rent be not lefs than one-third of the clear yearly value of fuch lands, manors, or meffuages as fhall be contained in fuch leafe or grant; and to the infinite fatisfaction of every impartial perfon, Sir James Lowther was finally nonfuited, after having thrown the whole county of Cumberland into the utmoft confufion— above four hundred ejectments being, as it is affirmed, ferved by the agents of Sir James Lowther upon the subtenants and actual occupants of thofe extenfive demefnes in one day, At At this period, a bill of fingular importance paffed the The British parliament having now nearly completed the "After the expulfion of the Stuarts," fays a learned and fantly |