and fentenced to be hanged, though his punishment was afterwards changed into imprifonment for life. Another effort in favour of the ftadtholder was more important in its nature, and confiderable in its confequences. The council or fenate of the city of Amfterdam, had long taken the lead in the measures in opposition to the prince, and we believe, that, at this very time, the inhabitants of the metropolis were more unanimous in their political fentiments, than those of almost any other town in the republic. But the prince of Orange found an opportunity to gain over to his party M. de Rendorp, one of the regent burgomafters of Amfterdam, and who had for a long time taken a principal fhare in the oligarchical meafures. This magiftrate appears to have been poffeffed of confiderable political kill and addrefs, and he exerted himself indefatigably to bring over a majority in the town council to the interefts of the stadtholder. His endeavours were not unfuccefsful; and in the beginning of March he obtained from them a vote, recommending to the ftatcs of the province, to refolve to restore the prince of Orange to the command of the garrifon of the Hague, fubject to an exprefs declaration, that the command fhould be regarded as revocable at the pleature of the ftates. The example of Amfterdam was adopted by the town council of Rotterdam, and this revolution was fo important in its nature, as to appear to promife every thing that was favourable to the prince of Orange. But it was immediately fucceeded by the interruption of the proceffion of the ftates, and in confequence the queftion of the garrifon was poftponed by agreement for feveral months.

The incidents, that took place

in the interval, were of lefs im portance. It has already been ob ferved, that the ftates of Holland had long fince fuppreffed the orange cockades and flags upon the churches, regarding them, probably with fufficient reafon, as the fignals of tumult. The friends of the ftadtholder now adopted a different way of fhowing their attachment. Their windows were filed w th all forts of yellow and orange-coloured flowers, and no fpectacle could be more rural and refreshing, than that, which was exhibited by these enthufiaftical politicians. This tignal however, like thofe which had preceded it, was prohibited by the provincial affembly, and the rerainers of office were employed with much strictnefs in the removal of anemonas, ranunculufes, and gilliflowers. The court of France, probably at the inftigation of the oligarchy, who were offended with the language of the king of Pruffia, delivered in a memorial to the states general on the twenty first of April, expreffive of their difapprobation of any foreign interference with the internal affairs of the republic; and this language was foon after imitated in memorials from the courts of Pruffia and Great Britain, with the addition of a claufe, declaratory of their good wishes to the pretenfions of the fladtholder.

The council of Amsterdam, now that they had once fhewn an inclination towards the party of the ftadtholder, seemed to hefitate at no proceeding which might best promote the object they had in view. Not contented with recommending to the ftates the restoration of the garrison, they wrote a circular letter to the other towns of the province, requesting them to adopt the fame meafure. They farther propofed to the provincial affembly

the

the abolition of the free corps of to the province of Holland, a body of men, diftinct from, and lefs regular in their inftitution then the volunteers, or armed burghers of the different towns. But this question was held in referve, and the queftion of the restoration of the garrifen was finally debated on the twenty-feventh of July. Upon the divifion there appeared ten voices for continuing the command in the council committee, to nine that voted in favour of the ftadrholder. The majority confifted of the deputies of Dort, Haerlem, Leyden, Gouda, Gorcum, Schiedam, Schoonhoven, Alkmaar, Ivionnikedam, and Purmerent.

But, if the tranfaétions, which thus took place at the Hague, were confiderable, thofe, which paffed in the city of Utrecht during the fame period, were not lefs important. We have feen the moderation, or as by moft it would be ftyled, the fpirit of delay and procrastination, with which the burghers of that city proceeded from the autumn of the year 1783 to the autumn of the year 1785. Their plans were now ripened; their defigns were become firm and determined; and, by continual reflection on their object, they had come to weigh in a just balance the obstacles they had to encounter and the force with which they fhould be able to refift them. In our laft volume it appeared, that the council of Utrecht had, after fome difficulties, appointed a committee of their body, for the purpofe of digesting, in concert with the delegates of the burghers, a new regulation of regency, to be fubftituted in the room of the regulation of 1674. As the fubftance of this regulation feems to have been already drawn, though not in a form altogether fatisfactory

the democracy, the bufinefs which remained was eafily difpatched, and the magiftrates were enabled to fubmit the draught of what they called a provisional regulation on the eighteenth of September. It bore the name of provitional, becaufe, though it was ardently defired, that all the towns of the province fhould concur at once in the intended reform, yet it was provided, if that idea failed, that the internal reform of the city of Utrecht itfelf fhould not on that account be poftponed. In the true fpirit of a popular government, this regulation was ordered to be read for fourteen days fucceffively in the Guildhal of the city, and the inhabitants were invited to deliver in their objections in writing, either fingly, or in affociated bodies, as they might themfelves judge fitteft. The outlines of the regulation appear to have been, to abolish the interference of the ftadtholder in the election of the regencies, and to inftitute a new power or college of fixteen perfons, denominated tribunes, who were to be elected by the people at large, and who, together with the depu ties of the wards. were to have negative in the first instance in the election of magistrates, and were afterwards empowered to accufe, cenfure, or depofe any member of the council at their pleasure.

But it was in this fituation of affairs, that the ftates of the province, who had at first been fuffi ciently favourable to the projected reform, now declared themfelves peremptorily against it, and voted, that the regulation of 1674 was a juft and beneficial regulation, and ought by no means to be fubject to any variation. The council, encouraged by the example of the ftates, were not lefs defirous of eB B 4

vading

The

terference of the military. provinci 1 fates of Holland forbad the troops, upon any pretence, or in obedience to the orders of any commander, to march against the city of Utrecht. The council were accordingly reduced to compliance; fome of its members took an oath to obferve the provifional regula. tion, and it was agreed, that, on the twelfth of October following, the annual magiftrates fhould be chofen in conformity to its directions.

vading the intended change. Of other for open war, and declared the fourteen members of which themfelves against the prefent inthe council confifted, twenty five had indeed taken an oath on the twelfth of October, the period of the election of the annual magifirates, in conformity to the defire of the burghers, declaring that the regulation of 1674 was violent and unconflitutional, and promifing to exert themselves to abolish it. Bu, notwithstanding this promife, they did not appear ready to take any steps, to give vigour and effect to the provifional regulation. The burghers waited during, what they esteemed, a reafon ble time for that purpofe, and at length, on the twentieth of December, prefented themfelves in a body under arms to the council, and infitted upon a compliance with their withes. The council accordingly agreed, that the provifional regulation fhould from that day be considered as having the force of a law, and upon that day three months fhould begin to be carried into final execution.

The twentieth of March 1786 thus became a period of apprehenfion to the oligarchy, and of expectation and defire to the demoratical party. But previously to its arrival the council came to a precipitate refolution, retracting their promife of the twentieth of December; forbidding all proceed ing and affociation on the part of the burghers; and demanding from the ftadtholder a body of troops for the fupport of their authority. Matters were not yet come to fuch an extremity, as to countenance and apologife for this proceeding. The ftates, as they had not been expofed to degradation by the threats of the burghers on the one hand, were not prepared on the

The inhabitants of Wyk, a town of the province of Utrecht, inconfiderable in itself, did not yield to their capital in the fpirit and zeal, with which they puriued the democratical reform. In Cctober 1785 they changed the regulation of regency, and, as well as the burghers of Utrecht, fixed on the twentieth of March 1785, as the period of a dopting the new regulation. On that day they were little difpofed to adopt any temporifing meatures. They called on the council inftantly to fwear 10 obferve it, and they declared fix members of that body, who refufed to comply, to have by fo doing abdicated their magiftracy. Immediately on the fame diy, they elected fix new counfellors, whofe fentiments were more favourable to the democratical measures. The ftates of the provinces were highly offended with the prefumption of the fubordinate town, and conceived, that they fhould be better able to make an example of these inferior oppofers, than of the burghers of Utrecht. They depofed by fummary procefs the counfellors, who had been elected by the people, and they appointed a commillion, accurately to investigate into the spirit and nature of these extraordinary proceedings.

Appre