DEMONSTRATION OF PUBLIC SPIRIT IN ENGLAND.

During the recess, the government party and the opposition were equally
zealous in securing the public opinion, and, consequently, the success
of its future schemes. The intelligence of Burgoyne's defeat seems to
have had a momentary effect on the minds of the people, which favoured
the views of opposition, but while a few politicians declaimed on the
necessity of ending a ruinous war by recognising the independence of the
United States, and others advised a cessation of arms and conciliation,
the vast majority of the nation soon burned with ardour to blot out the
recollection of Burgoyne's disgrace, by deeds of arms, and by reducing
the colonies to their original subjection to the mother country. Not
only did public meetings of corporate bodies, towns, and counties,
display their attachment to the cause of the crown by addresses, but
some cities and towns as Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh,
raised each a regiment of 1000 men at their own expense. Private
subscriptions were opened, large sums were given, and 15,000 soldiers
were raised in England, Scotland, and Wales, without any cost or charge
to government. Many of the maritime towns, also, armed ships to cruise
in the Channel, where American privateers and Frenchmen with American
colours were now becoming numerous. On the other hand, the opposition
party represented that the American prisoners of war were treated with
great cruelty in British prisons, and subscriptions were set on foot for
their relief. Complaints had been made in the house of lords concerning
the sufferings of the American prisoners, and the subject was
investigated; but though it was found that their allowance in some
instances had been slender, and that in others their keepers had treated
them with severity, it could not be shown that this arose from any want
of care on the part of government. Everything, however, was tried which
could be tried by the opposition, in order to fix an indelible stigma of
infamy on the members of Lord North's administration.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

The animus of opposition was exhibited in an unequivocal manner on the
reassembling of parliament. On the 22nd of January, Sir Phillip Jennings
Clarke moved for an account of the number of troops raised by private
subscription, with the names of the commanding-officers. In the
debate which followed this motion, ministers were accused of having
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