Wilberforce still kept "pegging away" at the Slave Trade, and, on 26th February, introduced a motion, "for leave to bring in a Bill for the abolition of the slave trade, at a time to be limited." Pitt lent him the weight of his influence, but it was a small House, and he lost it by a majority of 17. Fox, naturally (being in opposition), was always baiting the Government, and on 24th March he moved, "That the House should resolve itself into a Committee to inquire into the state of the nation;" but he suffered a severe defeat, the numbers against his motion being 219; for, 63. The English troops in Holland had met with a series of misadventures, and were compelled to retreat. A fine array of 35,000 men left our shores for this expedition, and but about a fifth part could be mustered when they reached the town of Bremen, on the 27th and 28th of March--and right glad were they to embark on board the transports lying in the Elbe, ready to receive them. * * * * * The harvest of 1794 had been bad, and bread and provisions generally were so dear as practically to amount to a famine among the poor. People, as a rule, will, unfortunately, not starve quietly, so we hear of food riots occasionally. On 11th April a mob at Portsea attacked the butchers' and bakers' shops, and compelled them with persuasive eloquence to sell, the one, meat at 4d per lb.--the other, bread at 6d a quartern loaf. Again on 20th April, the Oxford Militia, with loaded guns and fixed bayonets, went to Seaford, where, having confiscated all the beef and mutton they could lay their hands on, they sold it at 4d per lb., and then, going to Newhaven, they seized 2000 sacks of flour, and sold it at their own price. This flagrant breach of military discipline was, however, soon punished, for the Horse Artillery and Lancashire Fencibles came up and took the rioters prisoners. But similar riots were rife all through the Midlands. In the autumn things got even worse, and Parliament was assembled earlier than usual to deliberate on a remedy for this state of things; the outcome of which was an order for a bounty of twenty shillings per quarter on wheat from the Mediterranean, fifteen shillings on wheat from America, and five shillings per quarter on Indian corn. Bills also were passed prohibiting the manufacture of starch from wheat, and also the distillation of spirit from grain.