ANNUAL REGISTER, QR GENERAL REPOSITORY .OF HISTORY, POLITICS, AND LITERATURE, For the YEAR 1818. LONDON: PRINTED FOR WILLIAM STOCKDALE, 1819. THN PUBLICLI ARTOR, LENOX AND Printed by R. and A. Taylor, Shoe-lane. PREFACE. THE internal state of the British empire, in almost every point of view, presents the most interesting objects during the period which the present Volume embraces. The distress and consequent dissatisfaction in the manufacturing districts; the financial arrangements, rendered more difficult from the state of those districts ;-the circulation, thrown into an artificial form by the war ;-the death of the queen; -and the marriages in the royal family are among the most interesting of these objects. In the East Indies a most formidable and extensive combination against the British power was speedily and effectually crushed by the wisdom of the measures of the marquis of Hastings, aided by the valour of our officers and troops. Abroad, the evacuation of France was a measure of great importance. Fortunately it has not been attended by any of those consequences, which at one time there seemed reason to apprehend would follow it: indeed, France is evidently settling into a regular, quiet, and prosperous state. The other European powers present little that is novel and interesting: -only very small portions of the German people are as yet rewarded for their patriotic exertions against the French by a free constitution, the boon which was promised them, and which they are most anxious to obtain. At one period last year it was apprehended that hostilities would take place between the United States and Great Britain, a 2 |