nment placed the country in a state of defence. The militia were
called out; the Tower was strengthened; a second royal proclamation was
issued; and parliament summoned to meet on the 13th of December.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

When parliament met, the speech from the throne was full of alarm. All
the expressions of the first proclamation were repeated in it; and,
towards the conclusion, the king remarked:--"I have carefully observed
a strict neutrality in the present war on the continent, and have
uniformly abstained from interference in the internal affairs of France;
but it is impossible to see, without serious uneasiness, the strong and
increasing indications which have there appeared, of an intention to
excite disturbances in other countries, to disregard, the rights of
neutral nations, and pursue views of conquest and aggrandisement; as
well as to adopt towards my allies, the States-general, measures which
were neither conformable to the laws of nations, nor to the positive
stipulations of existing treaties." Under all these circumstances, his
majesty added, he had thought it right to adopt precautionary measures,
and to make some augmentation of his naval and military force.

The address was moved by Sir James Sanderson, lord-mayor of London, who
affirmed that seditious practices were prevalent; that various
political societies were established in London, which corresponded
and confederated with other societies in different parts of the
United Kingdom; and that these societies, whose aim was to subvert the
constitution and to destroy monarchy, root and branch, were circulating
a vast number of pernicious pamphlets and publications among the lower
orders of people. A memorable debate arose on the address. Fox, who was
yet enchanted with French liberty, condemned every part of the speech
and of the address. It was his firm conviction, he said, that every fact
asserted in the king's speech was false; that no insurrection existed;
and that the alarm was occasioned by the artful designs and practices of
ministers. Fox reprehended the system of intellectual oppression, which
induced ministers to represent the tumults and disorders that had taken
place, as designed to overthrow the constitution; and that the
various societies instituted for discussing questions relative to the
constitution, were so many schemes for propagating seditious doctrines.
He was aware that he was advancing opinions not likely to become
p