them that he had no power to interpofe, and exhorted them to submit to their fate without attempting a refiftance, which must prove inevitably fruitlefs. But this brave people, animated with an ardent love of liberty, and paffionately attached to their native woods and favannahs, refolved to affert, and, fo far as it should be in their power, to maintain their rights. In reply therefore to the English commiffioners, they represented that the whole island was originally their property-that the French nation had, indeed, with their permiffion and good-will, fettled upon a part of it, and their king might doubtless dispose of that part as he pleased; but as they were not his fubjects, he could exercife no authority over them, nor grant to any other people the lands which they had referved to themfelves. In conclufion, they pofitively refused to part with their lands, or to admit of any exchange.

The English commiffioners, regardless of these remonftrances, proceeded in their furveys, advancing roads into the heart of the Caribb country. The Caribbs, however irritated and provoked, carefully abstained from any direct acts of violence, farther than the deftruction of the new roads, and burning the huts of the furveyors, who abandoned their works, and were permitted to retire in safety. Fresh remonftrances were now made in England against the Caribbs, who were reprefented as daring and incorrigible rebels, and it was propofed to transport them to fome defert island or wafte on the coaft of Africa; but the government still seemed unwilling to proceed to these extremities, and new propofals were made to them for a partition and exchange of lands, which they rejected with unalterable fimnefs. And being asked whether they acknowledged themselves fubjects to the king of Great Britain, and would take the oath of allegiance? they replied without hesitation in the negative-declaring that they were an independent people, fubject neither to the king of Great Britain nor the king of France. In confequence of this

contumacy,

contumacy, orders were fffued for two regiments to embark from North America to join an equal number already at St. Vincents' or the neighboring iflands, which, with the naval force on that ftation, were deftined to reduce the Caribbs to a due fubmiffion to government; or, if they continued obftinate, they were to be entirely removed from the island to fuch place as fhould be determined upon.

At this period an enquiry was inftituted in the house of commons refpecting this bufinefs, and the following refolutions were moved by Mr. Alderman Trecothick, member for the city of London: "1. That the expedition against the Caribbs was undertaken without fufficient provocation on the part of these poor people, and at the inftigation of perfons interested in their deftruction. 2. That fending the troops in the unhealthy feason of the year, unprovided with camp equipage and neceffaries, on that fervice, is not justifiable by any exifting neceffity. 3. That an adds be presented to his majesty, defiring that his majesty will be pleafed to acquaint the houfe by whofe advice a measure was undertaken equally repugnant to the humanity of his majesty's temper, difgraceful to his arms, and derogatory from the character of the British nation.” These motions were feverally negatived by great majorities; but the bufinefs occupying a confiderable fhare of attention, and the public feelings being awakened, it would probably have been foon revived, had not intelligence arrived that a treaty of peace was at length concluded with the Caribbs, after feveral fierce encounters, in which the regular troops had feverely fuffered the lofs in this expedition, including the fick and wounded, amounting to little less than seven hundred men.

By this treaty the project of transplantation to Africa. was wholly abandoned, the Caribbs were confirmed in their poffeffions, and the antient rights annexed to them, with the exception of certain diftricts to be furrendered to the commiffioners appointed by his Britannic Majesty, whom

they

they recognized as rightful fovereign of the island and domain of St. Vincents', acknowledging that the lands held by them are granted through his majefty's clemency. Thus, by a refolute exertion of valor, tempered as it appears with no small degree of discretion, did this handful of people ultimately establish their privileges and virtual independency, against the attack of a mighty power which menaced their total ruin and extermination; and the treaty between the Caribbs of St. Vincents' and the king of Great Britain is a monument of hiftorical curiofity, fingularly valuable as a striking confirmation of the utility and importance of the magnanimous maxim, " in no circumftances to defpair of the commonwealth."

It must not be omitted, that the bill for the enlargement of the toleration act in the courfe of the present feffion again paffed the house of commons by a prodigious majority, and was again rejected by the lords. The debate in the upper house was on this occafion illumined by a ray of genius fuddenly emanating from the earl of Chatham,

Dr. Drummond, archbishop of York, having in a virulent speech ftigmatized the diffenting minifters as "men of clofe ambition," lord Chatham faid, this was judging uncharitably, and whoever brought fuch a charge against them without proof DEFAMED." Here he paused: but, feeling the workings of a generous and indignant enthusiasm, he thus proceeded :—" The diffenting ministers are represented as men of close ambition-they are fo, my lords, and their ambition is to keep close to the college of fifhermen, not of Cardinals; and to the doctrine of infpired apoftles, not to the decrees of interested and aspiring bishops-THEY contend for a spiritual creed and fpiritual worship; we have a calvinistic creed, a popish liturgy, and an arminian clergy*. The reformation has laid open the scriptures to all

-let

*It is well known that the English liturgy is taken chiefly from the Catholic mafs book, nor does this at all detract from its great and acknowledged merit as a devotional compofition. But its origin is too evidently difcernible in the authoritative

let not the bishops shut them again. Laws in fupport of ecclefiaftical power are pleaded for, which it would shock humanity to execute. It is faid that religious fects have done great mischief when they were not kept under retraint; but history affords no proof that fects have ever been mischievous when they were not oppreffed and perfecuted by the ruling church."

An end was at length put to the feffion, which had now continued more than feven months, by a speech from the throne, in which his majesty expressed to the two houses his high approbation of the zeal, affiduity, and perfeverance with which they had applied themselves to the very impor tant bufinefs which had been recommended to their atten tion.

This may be confidered as the most brilliant æra of lord North's adminiftration. Supported by vaft parliamentary majorities, and the general concurrence of the nation, he had carried into complete effect a plan of government and reform for India, the vigor of which was apparent, while experience only could prove its deficiency in wisdom. With refpect to America, every thing might be hoped from that difpofition to conciliation which was known to characterize the nobleman who now prefided over that department. There appeared a fair prospect of permanent peace abroad; and those disturbances which had fo long prevailed at home, feemed gradually fubfiding into a tranquillity which the nation had rarely, and for very short intervals, known since the commencement of the prefent reign. There yet remained VOL. I, R .

at

authoritative papal form of abfolution, the vain and perpetual repetition of the gloria patri, and the folemn invocations of the TRINITY, which, faith Luther, is a word of strange found, and of mere human invention-it were better to call Almighty God GoD than TRINITY." And Calvin ftill more explicitly declares, "I like not this prayer, O holy bleffed, and glorious TRINITY!it favors of barbarifm. The word TRINITY is unintelligible, profane, grounded upon no testimony of God's word-the POPISH GOD unknown to the prophets and apoftles." It is remarkable that the greatest geniuses which this country has produced, BACON, MILTON, LOCKE, NEWTON, CLARKE, &c. have concurred in the rejection of this dogma of the popular and orthodox freed.

at the extremity of the western horizon a dark cloud, which, however flightly noticed by the generality of perfons, feemed to the more discerning to bode a distant but DREADFUL

TEMPEST.

The unfortunate difputes with the American colonies, revived by the impofition of the port duties in 1767, had fince that fatal period fuffered no interruption or abatement, though very much kept out of fight by thofe vehement domeftic contests in which the English nation felt itself for the time more nearly interefted, though of far lefs real and lafting importance. A general retrospective view of colonial politics will be neceffary, to illuftrate and introduce the momentous tranfactions of the fucceeding years. In the act impofing the port duties on paper, glass, colors, teas, &c.. paffed A. D. 1767, was a remarkable claufe, which gave fcarcely lefs umbrage and alarm than the taxes themselves; empowering the crown by fign manual to establish a general CIVIL LIST throughout every province in America, to an indefinite extent, with any falaries, places, or appointments, to the very laft fhilling of the American revenue. The act indeed provided, that after all fuch minifterial warrants under the fign manual as are thought proper and neceffary fhall be fatisfied, the tefidue of the revenue. fhall be at the difpofal of parliament. "But who, it was asked, can suppose fuch warrants will ever be fatisfied till ministers have provided for all their friends and favorites? This mockery of an American revenue proves at laft, faid a member of the house (Mr. Hartley), to be only the crumbs that fall from the minister's table-the RESIDUE of a royal warrant counterfigned by the first lord of the treasury!" The next step in the progrefs of the new system of American taxation, was the eftablishment of an American board of commiffioners, which, under the aufpices of the chancellor of the exchequer, Mr. Charles Townfhend, paffed into an act the fame feffion. This board was fixed at Boston, where the commiffioners arrived in the autumn of that year.

The