HE backwardnefs, with refpect to publication,

THE

which the heavy business of the late extensive war, and its fucceeding confequences, occafioned, excited us to make a vigorous, and, as we hoped, decifive effort, for the recovery of our former fituation in point of time. This was no lefs than to throw the whole bufinefs of two fucceeding years into one volume; paying little regard to our own trouble, when put in competition with our engagements to the Public, the spirit of the undertaking, and the utility of the performance.

This experiment (for it was no more, and is not to be repeated) has by no means anfwered our expectation with refpect to the faving or gaining of time. We have found the double work exceedingly heavy; and the business in its amount went far beyond our calculation. The critical circumstances, the extraordinary claims, and the alarming change in connections and policy, which appeared, within that period, to be taking place in Europe, presented an aspect not a little ominous to its repose; and neceffarily rendered our foreign history an object of much care, confideration, enquiry, and research. And however important foreign affairs were, our domestic concerns were not lefs fo; and were still more interefting to Englishmen.

Within the period of which we treat, one parliament had been fuddenly diffolved, a new one fpeedily called,

and

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 retrospective 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 fense 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, beftowed our labour and, time for the fame purpose,

THE

THE

ANNUAL REGISTER, For the YEARS 1784 and 5.

THE

HISTORY

O F

EUROPE.

CHA P. I.

Retrospective view of the general affairs of Europe from the year 1780. Emperor. Great fchemes of reform and regulation. Some general obfervations on them. Decree for extending the liberty of the press. Decree in favour of the Jews. Ordinances ftriking at the authority of the court of Rome. Oftenfible causes, 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 benefits 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 im portance 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 Proteftants. Emperor examines the obftructions to the navigation of the Schelde, and vifits 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 Proteftants of civil liberty to the peasants of Bohemia, Moravia, Silefia, and Auftrian Póland, who are discharged from their ancient flavery to the lords. Free exercife of their religion, with other advantages, granted by the Elector of Saxony to the Roman Catholics in his dominions. Inquifition abolished by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Universities reformed by the Emperor, VOL. XXVII. Allows

[4]

-Allots Schools for the education of foldiers children. Measures for rendering the city of Trieste a great commercial Emporium. Emperor lends four millions of florins to the merchants of that city. Suppreffion of religious boufes in the Auftrian Dominions. Ecclefiaftics in the Auftrian Netherlands difcharged from all foreign jurifdiction. Imperial refcript, difclaiming all fubordination, in fecular affairs, to the Holy See. Suppreffion of religious houfes in the Duchy of Milan. Alarm at Rome. Correfpondence between the Pope and the Emperor. Journey of the Sovereign Pontiff, 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 adminiftring the fequestered eftates; the produce deftined to public purpofes. Obfervations and ftrictures of foreigners on fome of these tranfactions.

WH

HILE the four great maritime powers of Europe were exhaufting their strength and facrificing their fubjects in that war, to which the revolt of the British colonies in America gave rife, and which in its progrefe 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.

The

In the laudable purfuit of these objects, he was not contented with adhering to the beaten track marked out by others, or of waiting the diftant effect of flow and progreffive fchemes of improvement.. 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 conftantly in view; as if, ruminating on the fhortnefs of human life, he had determined to establish his defigns fo speedily, as not only, if

he should himself be cut off, to place them out of the reach of future contingencies, but to obtain a probability, 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 first departments of the state and government, whether ecclefiaftical, civil, or military. This tafk, fufficiently arduous in itself, was rendered ftill more difficult by the nature of his dominions, compofed as they are of separate kingdoms, and a number of diftinct provinces, obtained by different means, and at different periods, fubject to their own peculiar forms of government, and ftill retaining many of their original rights and inftitutions.

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

and