The treaty of peace which had been signed between France and England in 1801 was not of long continuance. During the latter end of 1802, the French government began to act in a very menacing manner towards England; and from the military and naval preparations which were being carried on by Bonaparte, it was evident that war was intended. On the 13th of May, 1803, affairs were brought to a crisis, by Lord Whitworth, the ambassador at the French court, quitting Paris, by order of his sovereign; and immediately after, the French ambassador left England, and war was declared between the two powers. Notice to this effect was directly forwarded to Lord Lavington, by Lord Hobart, (late governor of Madras,) who at that period was one of the principal secretaries of state; and upon the arrival of the despatches, Antigua was put into a state of defence. Not wishing to declare martial law in force through the whole island, yet at the same time seeing the necessity of part of the militia being on service, it was thought proper to ordain, that in future it would be lawful for the governor, with the concurrence of the council and assembly, to call out a portion of it for the purpose of keeping guard, &c., and, by proclamation, requiring the whole body to hold themselves in readiness. It was also deemed necessary to revive an act, (which had expired upon the treaty of peace being signed at Amiens, March 25th, 1802, between England, France, Spain, and Holland,) laying a powder-tax upon all vessels trading to and from Antigua. Accordingly, all commanders of ships were obliged to pay into the hands of the receiver appointed one full pound of powder per ton, to the size of the vessel; half in cannon, and the other half in pistol powder. In 1804, Mr. Wilberforce’s annual motion for the abolition of the slave trade, which was supported by Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox, was carried by 124 to 46 voices; and a bill presented, limiting the period when ships would be allowed to clear out from any English port for this inhuman traffic, to October 1st of the same year. This bill passed the third reading in the house of commons, but was rejected in the house of lords on account of the lateness of the session. In Antigua the negro population had decreased 1000 since the last year.