in office, and as his
animus was well-known, he was thought to have been concerned in this
plot likewise. But it failed; and the circumstance had the effect of
still further exciting the enmity of the English people towards the
Americans.

CHAPTER VIII.

{GEORGE III. 1777-1778}

Letters of Marque granted..... Bill for Detaining Persons in
Prison charged with High-treason..... Miscellaneous
Debates..... Spirited Address of the Speaker to the
King..... Lord Chatham's Motion for Concessions to
America..... Parliament Prorogued..... Successes of
Washington..... British Expedition up the Hudson River.....
American Expedition to Long Island..... Capture of General
Prescot, &c...... Battle of the Brandywine, &c..... Capture
of Philadelphia..... Opening of the Delaware..... Close of
Howe's Campaign..... Expedition and Capture of Burgoyne.....
Clinton's Expedition up the Hudson..... Meeting of
Parliament..... Debates on America..... Duke of Richmond's
Motion for Inquiring into the State of the Nation..... Fox's
Motion for Inquiring into the State of the Nation..... Army
and Navy Estimates..... Intelligence of Burgoyne's
Defeat..... Royal Assent to Several Bills..... Parliament
Adjourned.

{A.D. 1777}

LETTERS OF MARQUE GRANTED.

On the meeting of parliament, after the recess, a bill was brought into
the commons for enabling the admiralty to grant letters of marque
and reprisal to privateers against vessels belonging to the revolted
colonies, which were now doing much mischief, not only among our West
India Islands, but also in the narrow seas of Europe. This bill passed
the commons without a debate, and it went through the lords without
any amendment, except that the words "letters of permission" were
substituted for "letters of marque."

BILL FOR DETAINING PERSONS IN PRISON CHARGED WITH HIGH-TREASON.

On the 6th of February Lord North introduced a bill "For enabling His
Majesty to detain and secure Persons charged with, or suspected of, the
Crime of High-treason, committed in North America or on the High-seas,
or the Crime of Piracy." The bill provided, that all persons charged
with or suspected of treason, committed in any of the colonies, or on
the high-seas, or of piracy, should be liable to be committed to any
place of confinement named by the king, under his sign-manual,
within any part of his domi