Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-05-13
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Latest Foreign Advices
F-om Paaers received at the OH;cc ofthe
.Norf3N Puzzle Ledger, by me shit
Dum}ijes, ccft. Beard.
LONDON, March 2S.

they continued on the 4th of March, wait !
ing an opportunity 10 Get cut. From Plv- ,
mouth we learn that Il squadron of three !
sail of the line and frigAte supposed to
have troops on board, have lately escaped
from Brest, through the passage du Raj
Their dcstin ,tion is ut present unknown.
The following is an extract of letter
from on board the Phoebe fr;gate, dated
''CF Pochrf0rf, March 8.
"-Tbere is line Of battle shin, two fri
gates, corvette, ard two hrigs, quite rea-
d. for sea, we see them getting their top
gallant yards up and down daily"
March d.
THE. PRESENT CRISIS
Waist tic d@iy papers arc filed with
she song cf party triumph, or indulsing in
reEipracal aniraadversions on the charac-
tiers, talents, and conduct Of goerS-out and
the corners in, for our own part we canno.
but contemplate ali that is passing, and all
that may result from it, with most serious
approximations and anxiety. If ever there
WAS n moment when frequent changes of
oar government were to he deprecated by
ever rctiec,'ng man, it is the present and
never was therea time when freedom from
political animOsities was more to be desir-
ed, and that our affairs sfonId hc in the
bands re AN administration, Possessing at
once the confidence Of the king, and OF the
sou1try.
The facts th;: have led to this embaras-
sed state OF things are now pretty well es-
tablished and we shall shortly state them,
without any opinion or comment 1t seems
thst Lord GrenVille thought some couces-
sions to the CathoiiCkS necessary and, in
the first instance, proposed to grant to
these serving in the army, by new clauses
in the Mutiny Bill, such security and en-
enlargement as the Irish Act of 1898 held
ont to them. To this no objection was
mace in the cabinet, not even bv Lord Sid
mouth ;-and we understand, that none
NsS made by his majesty himsclf-But
When concessions going far beyond that
act were proposed, by which Papsts we're
60 be enabled to hold any appointments
whatever, in the army or navy, and bv
which the necessity of repeating part of
the Test and Corporation Acts was crea-
ted, Lords Sidmouth and Ei!enboroueh i'm
Mediately declared their dissent. in the
most unqualified manner; and the former
expressed his determination to withdraw
tT@m the cabinet, if it were persisted in
The bill was brought into the house cf COM
mons, aud was TO be read n second time
on Fridayt the 13lh, whenit was well known
that lord Sidn,outh's friends intended o.
pInly 10 oppose it, On Wednesday morn
ing he sent in his resignation to lord Gren-
vile, probably thathe might consider him
sell quite At liberty on that dav, to express
&c his majes,y hi. unrcIcrvcd opinion on
ibe Catholic Bill. We have not heard that
the king had, before that day, consulted
any other person on the subject. Shortly
after the royal diSapprobstiun was express
Sed tothe cabinet III strong terms and a.
meeting, held at lord Grenville's, on
Sunday the SFh (fn uyhi III
Sidmouth, lord Peterborough, nor, We be-
hCve, the Chancellor, were nvited) il was
determined 10 yield TO the kings wishes :;
rcServng, however, II his servants the H.
beTty of bringing forward, at some future
period, such measures of a similar nature
as circumstances might possibly call for
On receiving this communication, his ma
jesty demanded pledge in return, that no
such measure should ever again he pro-
posed to him. To this lord Grenville, and
the greater part Of his colleagues have
demurred and there is no doubt, but that
in consequence of their refusal, their SER
vices will be dispensed with as soon as
new government can be put together.
We had always understood from the time
OF the formation Of the government in 1906,
that lord Sidmouth had reserved 10 him
self the right of acting according to his
that might arise. His conduct has there
fore, througout the whole of this dehcate
business been direct, manly, and consis-
tent His colleagues were fully appraised
of his intentions; and he set himself mt IL
berry to act up to them, before he attended
the council on Wednesday se'nnight Ii
does not appear that this resignation has
actually taxed place nor are we enabled
TO say whether this has been owing TO re-
quest made by lord Grenville, or from
higher quarter. We have not heard that
he has been sent to by the king, or had a.
ny communication made 10 him from those
who we're arranging new government.
This naturally occasions no small degree
Of observation and surpriSe-Wc are per-
testly convinced that very great difficult
ties have occurred in the formation of it,
X believe that no dependence is to be plac-
ed even on such parts of the arrangement
as have been the most positively announ-
ced. a good deal might possibly depend /
on Lord Chatham's opinion, who did not !
reach town trIl yesterday afternoon, and /
who can hardly have yet waited on the king. |
We believe there is no doubt but that lord !
Rardwioke and Mr.. Yorke have positively
refused to take any Office and we have
heard It confidently asserted that lord Mel
vile had declined.
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