PRIME MINISTERS. WILLIAM PITT. 1792. 1793. 1794. 1795. every ministry since Lord North's except the Coalition of 1783), and is succeeded after a few months as Lord Chancellor by Wedderburn, Lord Loughborough. Preparations for war. Trial of Thomas Paine. He is defended by Erskine. Lord Grenville passes his Alien Act for the supervision and, if necessary, the removal of aliens. Burke's dagger scene. War is declared by England against France, England, Spain, and Holland join Austria and Fox's resolution condemning the war lost by 270 to 44. Troops are sent to Holland and to the south of A Catholic Relief Act for Scotland is passed removing Treaty of commerce with Russia. [The Society of Friends of the People offer to prove that Mr. Grey's motion for parliamentary reform is opposed Toulon is abandoned. The suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act is carried by 201 to 39 (the first time for England since 1745). June 1. Lord Howe gains a great victory over the French fleet. The Duke of Portland and some of the old Whigs join the ministry (b). A third Secretaryship of State (for War) established. Henry Dundas becomes Secretary for War. Windham is Secretary at War. The Duke of York is defeated at Bois-le-Duc. A strong feeling in favour of peace is shown in the Marriage of the Prince of Wales to Caroline of Brunswick. [An additional annuity of £65,000 a year is given him, which gradually pays off his debts of more than half a million.] The suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act is continued. [It is in operation for eight years altogether.] COLONIAL. GENEALOGY OF THE HOUSE OF HANOVER. Sophia, granddaughter of James I., d. 1714. (d) By proclamation dated November 5, 1800, the members of Parliament then sitting for England were declared to be members of the first Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to meet on January 22, 1801. 1796. Ceylon is taken from the Dutch. Buonaparte's campaign in Italy. Battles of Montenotte, Lodi, and Arcola. 1797. Peace of Campo Formio. 1798. Irish Rebellion. Arrest of O'Connor, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, and others. Lord Cornwallis succeeds Lord Camden. Insurrection breaks out. General Lake defeats the rebels at Vinegar Hill, June 21. French expedition Egypt. to French expedition under General Humbert lands in Ireland and surrenders. Lord Mornington (Marquis Wellesley), Governor-General of India (to 1805). 1799. Capture of Seringapatam. Death of Tippoo. Second Coalition. Buonaparte becomes Consul. PRIME MINISTERS. WILLIAM PITT. 1795. 1796. 1797. 1798. 1799. 1800. 1801. War having been declared against the Dutch, the Cape Return of the British from Holland. Fruitless expedition to Quiberon Bay. Spain declares war against England. Acquittal of The Treasonable Practices Bill and Seditious Meetings The French expedition to Ireland is dispersed by a Sir John Jervis and Nelson defeat the French and April. The Mutiny at Spithead is suppressed with- May. Mutiny at the Nore. It is suppressed in June. Fox moves for the repeal of the Treason and Sedition An income tax of 10 per cent. on incomes over £200 is Aug. 1. Nelson utterly defeats the fleet which had conveyed Napoleon and his army to Egypt, in the battle of the Nile. [There is a secession from Parliament of Fox and his Sir Sidney Smith helps the Turks to hold Acre against Pitt forms the Second Coalition. tria, and Russia chief members.) (England, Aus The Duke of York takes command of the English ex- Lord Keith with the Austrians besieges Genoa. July. THE ACT FOR THE UNION OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND IS PASSED (c). [See Summary: Ireland, Part II., p. 253.] Malta is captured from the French. The Armed Neutrality between Russia, Sweden, Den- Pitt proposes to pass a measure for the relief of the COLONIAL. 1801. Alexander I. becomes Emperor of Russia. The departments of War and Colonies are united under one Secretary till 1854 (c). 1802. Treaty of Bassein in India. The Peishwah transfers his suzerainty to the East India Company. Trinidad annexed. 1803. Penal settlement made at Hobart Town in Tasmania. Sir Arthur Wellesley gains the battle of Assaye over the Mahrattas. General Lake wins the battle of Laswaree. 1804. Buonaparte proclaimed Emperor. 1805. Napoleon prepares a large armament at Boulogne, and orders Villeneuve to entice Nelson to the West Indies, and then return to the Channel. The scheme fails. Napoleon breaks up his camp at Boulogne, and gives up his expedition against England. Third Coalition. Capitulation of Ulm. Battle of Austerlitz, Dec. 2. Lord Cornwallis, Gover- Cape Colony finally taken PRIME MINISTERS. ADDINGTON. 1801. 1802. 1803. 1804. WILLIAM PITT. 1805. 1806. LORD GRENVILLE. his friends resigns (a). March. Addington forms a ministry (b), but the illness of the king delays the proceedings. March. Abercrombie defeats the French at Alex andria. April. Nelson destroys the Danish fleet off Copenhagen, and the Armed Neutrality is broken up. Nelson fails in an attack on the French gunboats and batteries at Boulogne. Preliminaries of peace are signed, but are severely criticised by Pitt's friends in Parliament, headed by Lord Grenville. March. Treaty of Amiens signed (d). Perceval becomes Attorney-General. Buonaparte demands restraints upon the English press, Peltier is convicted of writing a libel on Buonaparte in May. Declaration of war. Large bodies of volunteers are formed. Emmett and others are arrested, tried, and executed for insurrection at Dublin. Short return of the king's illness. Pitt, Fox, and Grenville unite to oppose Addington's ministry. Pitt forms a new administration, May (e). The Wilberforce's bill for the abolition of the slave trade, Napoleon prepares to invade England. Addington joins the ministry (as Lord Sidmouth). The Third Coalition is formed against France. Aug. Nelson returns to Portsmouth. Oct. 21. The French and Spanish fleets are defeated off Death of William Pitt, Jan. 23. Grenville and Fox unite to form the ministry of Fox opens negotiations with Napoleon. |