The subject of economical reform was pursued with great spirit during the session of 1779-80, in both houses ; by the Duke of Richmond in the peers, and by Mr Burke in the Their motions were re jected ; but the sixth of April was signalized by a vic tory of the opposition, whose numbers had of late in creased, as the aversion of the nation to the principles of the war, and to the system of corruption which had so long given sanction to it, daily grew more apparent. Mr Dunning moved, " that the influence of the crown had increased, was increasing, and ought to be dimi nished." This was passed by a majority of eighteen ; and in several subsequent motions the minister found himself in a minority. An unusual recess of parliament, however, gave the court time to recover from this biow. During that interval they rallied their broken rarks, and brought so many deserters back to their that at the next debate, on addressin; his majesty that parliament might continue to sit till the petitions of the people for reform were answered, they recovered a ma jority of 51. Mr Fox, on this decision, rose with in dignation, and exposed the shameless inconsistency, the breach of a solemn engagement, of those who had thus basely deserted the cause of reform.
While these extraordinary turns of fortune attended the contest of parties, an event took place, which, for a time, overwhelmed party spirit itself in the danger of the state. After the passing of a humane bill in favour of the Catholics, associations, originating in Scotland, had taken place over the whole kingdom, to petition the legislature for its repeal. Lord George Gordon. an in sane branch of a noble family of Scotland, and a member of the lower house, headed these associations. On the day appointed for the grand association in London to deliver their petition to parliament, the rabble assem bled, by his invitation, to an immense number, in St George's Fields, and proceeded to Westminster, where they surrounded, inculted, and bes;eged two houses. The arrival of the guards wi•1 difficulty protected par liament ; and the mob, on that clay, contented themselves with demolishing some chapels of the Roman Catholics. During several succeeding clays, the riots and burning of houses continued unchecked. The members of par liament who continued to meet, were exposed to insult and outrage on their way to NVestminster, till at last they determined to adjourn, till the arm of executive authority should rescue them from danger. Encouraged by impunity, the mob proceeded in the work of devasta tion,—emptied the prisons, destroyed and pillaged an immense number of houses, and at last threatened the Bank itself London was seen, from one spot, blazing in thirty places. Houses and property to the amount of millions were sacrificed to their fury. The shops were shut, and all business was at a stand. The arm of the civil power had hitherto been shamefully idle ; but his majesty declaring with spirit, that the executive power should interfere, orders were given to fire upon the rioters ; and detachments were brought from many miles round London. Several hundreds of the insur gents were killed by the platoons of the military, and in a few days tranquillity was restored.
Lord George Gordon was arrested on a charge of high treason, and conducted under a strong escort to the Tower. 11e was acquitted, on proofs of insanity, while many of his meaner associates atoned for their crimes on the gallows. To complete the satisfaction of public justice, the lord mayor, whose neglect of timely interference was regarded as a principal cause of the latter excesses, was prosecuted and convicted. The session was closed by a speech from the throne, on the 8th of July ; and, in September, a new parliament was called.
To resume the thread of the narrative of transactions in America. The fall of Charleston having apparent ly secured to us the whole province of South Carolina, and Colonel Tarleton's detachment having defeated the fugitive American army, General Clinton returned to New York, leaving Lord Cornwallis behind him to pro secute the conquest of the northern provinces. The American corps were, however, recruited, by strong reinforcements, and, uniting under General Gates, gave battle to Lord Cornwallis at Camden, near Lynchis creek. Here they were severely defeated, and for a time dispersed ; and a way was opened for the victors to North Carolina ; while numbers of American partizans, by force and persuasion, were compelled or induced to join the royal standard. While this victory was hailed by the sanguine partizans of Britain as decisive, the de feat of several detached corps of the British army quick ly turned the tide of fortune. Major Ferguson was cut off at King's Mountain, and his army obliged to surren der, by a body of American horsemen. Colonel 'Fade ton with difficulty, and by incredible bravery, cut his way through the enemy, and retired from active hostili ties. Lord Cornwallis was obliged to retreat to the south. The \var in the northern provinces of America seemed, through the whole of the summer of 1780, to be nearly at a stand. On the 10th of July, a large body of French troops, under General Rochambeau, arrived at Rhode Island While the assistance of this new ally was rendered ineffectual by the blockade of a British fleet under Admirals Graves and Arbuthnot, thc Ame rican Arnold, proving faithless to the cause of the Ur ited States, engaged to deliver into the hands of the British the important post of West Point, which was calk d the Gibraltar of America, and was the repository of their most valuable stoves. Major Andre, a young officer of high character and bravery, who was selected by General Clinton to conduct the negotiation with the apostate American, by an unfortunate mistake fell into the hands of the enemy's scouts while he was within their lines, was brought to trial, and executed as a spy. Arnold escaped to the British lines, and was made a brigadier-general. When the winter set in, the army of Clinton was confined to New York, and its dependen cies. The French troops remained at Rhode Island ; and the army of Washington, distressed by many priva tions, continued on the mountainous grounds adjacent to the North River.