esentatives
to parliament, had fallen into decay. His lordship adduced examples
from history, to show that the principle of change had been often
acknowledged, and the suffrage withdrawn and conferred on various
occasions. He proposed several resolutions in accordance with them,
the last being for the disfranchisement of Grampound, the corruption of
which borough was notorious. At the suggestion of Lord Castlereagh, who
appeared willing to concur in the motion to a certain extent, Lord
John withdrew his motion; but he subsequently brought in a bill for the
disfranchisement of Grampound, and the transfer of its privileges to
some populous town, the second reading of which was deferred until after
the Christmas recess.

CESSION OF PARGA TO THE TURKS.

During this year a convention was concluded between Great Britain and
Turkey by which the fortress of Parga, which remained after the war
in British protection, was ceded nominally to the latter power, but in
reality to its bitter foe, Ali Pasha. Considerable animadversion was
excited in the political circles by the fulfilment of this convention.
The Parghiotes were the last of the Christians in Epirus who had
successfully resisted the tyranny of Ali Pasha. In 1807, after the
treaty of Tilsit had given the Ionian Isles to Napoleon, they had
solicited and obtained a French garrison from Corfu; and in 1814 they
had placed themselves under British protection. During the command of
General Campbell they enjoyed security; but his successor, Sir T.
Maitland, after much intriguing with Ali Pasha, ordered them either to
submit to the Albanian despot or to quit their country. Finding their
fate inevitable, and knowing the vindictive nature of Ali Pasha, they
chose the latter alternative. An estimate was made of their buildings,
lands, and plantations, amounting to nearly L500,000; but the
compensation ultimately obtained for them was less than a third of that
sum. When this circumstance, and the harshness of all the decrees
against this brave but unfortunate people are considered, it is no
wonder that the whole continent rang with exclamations against the
British government, and that they were reiterated even in our own
country.

DEATH OF GEORGE III.

{A.D. 1820}

The protracted existence of the venerable monarch who had so long swayed
the British sceptre was drawing to a close. Virtually his long reign
terminated in 1810, with the establishment of the regency; but