ANNUAL REGISTER, OR GENERAL REPOSITORY OF HISTORY, POLITICS,' AND LITERATUR E, TO WHICH IS PREFIXED The HISTORY of KNOWLEDGE, LEARNING, and TASTE, LONDON: Printed for JOHN STOCKDALE, Piccadilly. 1805. BODLEIAN 2 APR 1959 LIBRARY Printed by Cox, Son, and BAYLIS, No. 75, PREFACE. IT is a trite remark, that the real causes and mo tives of political events are never known till a considerable period after they have happened; but it is a remark, of the truth of which, since the invention of printing, and since the sources of public information have been so wonderfully augmented, we might be permitted to entertain a doubt: nor is it easy to conceive, that, at a time when every transaction of importance is committed to writing, and by some medium or other (it might be imagined) would find it's way to the press, a political secret should be kept even for a month. Notwithstanding this, whoever has formed his opinions of political affairs from the information contained in newspapers, and other periodical publications, will find, when he comes to peruse this volume, that he reads a history which is, in all its most essential parts, entirely new. of the names of statesmen and a 2 He has heard generals, the names names of the places where they have been engaged, but he is altogether ignorant of the intrigues, the factions, the projects, and the motives which have produced the events of the year 1799. We shall not anticipate the prominent parts of the following narrative; we shall not destroy the 'reader's entertainment by a premature developement; he will meet with matter which is not only new, but extraordinary,----and, from the sources from which we have derived our information, we can only say, that we cannot entertain a doubt of its authenticity. Though from principle we are enemies to war on every pretence, yet, as far as accuracy is concerned, we are desirous of obtaining the suffrage of military men. We cannot but flatter ourselves that the detail of the late important campaign is more complete than any thing that has ever appeared upon the subject, and that it is indeed such that not only the politician may read it for entertainment, but that the soldier may study it for instruction. CONTENT S. THE History of Knowledge, Learning, and Taste, in Great Britain, dur- page xvii State of Politics at the latter End of the Year 1798. The Meeting of Par- hament. His Majesty's Speech. Address-Debate on the Address in the House of Lords-In the House of Commons. House of Commons occupied on a new Measure of Finance. Mr. Tierney's Motion in Favour of Peace negatived. Bill for continuing the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act- Debates on that Measure in the House of Commons-In the House of Lords. CHAP. II. Union with Ireland. Message from His Majesty. Debate in the House of Commons on bis Majesty's Message. Debate on the Proposal for a Union. Resolutions proposed by the Minister as preparatory to a Union. Resolutions proposed by Mr. Sheridan-rejected. Further Debates on the Minister's Proposals. Committee of the whole House on the Resolutions. Conference with the Lords. His Majesty's Message relative to the Union, delivered to the House of Lords. Conference with the Commons. Resolutions presented by the Commons. Lord Auckland's Motion for Papers. Debate on that Subject. Debate in the House of Lords on the Resolutions. Debate on the Pro- posal for an Address to bis Majesty. Debate on the Address. Second Confe- rence with the Commons. Joint Address of both Houses to bis Majesty, 46 Finances of the Year 1799. Committee of Supply. Navy Estimates-Sir John Sinclair's Objections—Debate on the Subject. Army Estimates. The |