e island of Minorca
and the two Floridas, as the price of her exertions; but she gave
up Providence and the Bahama islands to Great Britain: his catholic
majesty, also, guaranteed to English subjects the right of cutting
logwood in the bay of Honduras. Holland agreed to a truce, with the
understanding that there should be a mutual restoration of conquests
between her and Great Britain; but the exact terms of pacification were
not yet arranged.

RE-ASSEMBLING OF PARLIAMENT.

Parliament re-assembled on the day appointed, and for a day or two was
occupied in debates on the affairs of Ireland. The preliminaries of
peace were laid before the house on the 24th of January and the debates
which followed led to the overthrow of the ministry. This had been
indeed determined upon beforehand; for Fox and Lord North, whose
sentiments were as opposite as the poles, had previously entered into
a coalition for that express purpose, to the astonishment of the whole
nation. The struggle commenced on a motion made by Mr. Thomas Pitt,
for an address of thanks to his majesty for ordering the preliminary
articles of peace to be laid before the house. This motion, which was
made on the 17th of February, the day fixed for the debate, was seconded
by Mr. Wilberforce, and called forth all the rancour of contending
parties. An amendment, withholding such approbation, yet assuring his
majesty of their firm determination to adhere to the several articles
for which the public faith had been pledged, was moved and supported by
the combined adherents of Lord North and Mr. Fox; and, after a stormy
debate, was carried by a majority of sixteen; the numbers being two
hundred and twenty-four to two hundred and eight. An amendment, similar
in principle, was moved in the house of lords, which was rejected by
a majority of thirteen; the numbers being seventy-two to fifty-nine.
Debates on the advantages and disadvantages of peace still continued;
and on the 21st of February, Lord John Cavendish, among other
resolutions, moved, "That the concessions made to the adversaries of
Great Britain by the provisional treaty, and the preliminary articles,
are greater than they were entitled to, either from the actual situation
of their respective possessions, or from their comparative strength."
It was well known that Fox, with all his abilities, could not have
succeeded in obtaining better terms of peace; and that he had expressed
a readiness to make concessions