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vance fhould, he faid, be left with them. He had done his part.

Mr. W. Pitt admitted the neceffity of the repeal, though he was of opinion the prohibitory acts were virtually repealed by the recognition of American independence. The bill before the Houfe could not, he was con vinced, anfwer the end propofed by it.

When Mr. Secretary Fox moved for the repeal of the act which fubjected the American fhips to the neceflity of being furnished with certificates, &c. Mr. Jenkinfon expreffed fome apprehenfion that it would open fo wide a door to fmuggling that the revenue might be effentially injured, if not ruined.

April 9. Mr. Secretary Fox moved that the further confideration of the American intercourfe bill fhould be adjourned for three weeks. He obferved that the principal end defigned to be effected by that bill would be perfectly anfwered by a negociation, and he did not wish to fee that introduced into a bill before the conclufion of a treaty which ought rather to follow it as its confequence. At prefent he thought nothing further was neceffary than the repeal of the prohibitory acts, and all thofe ftatutes which fubjected American fhips to the expence Mr. Eden, in order to guard against and inconvenience which arofe from fo fatal a confequence, moved an the obligation they were under to be amendment to the following effect:registered and fupplied with dockets" and for voting certain powers in the when they failed from a British port.

Crown to be limited, for establishing temporary regulations for opening the intercourfe." This amendment was adopted by the Houfe; and the motion thus amended was carried with

Mr. Pitt had no objection to Mr. Fox's motion, provided there was a profpect of effecting the leading objects of his bill by a negociation: but he could not flatter himfelf with any fan-out a divifion. guine expectation of fo favourable an flue to the treaty in contemplation.

The further confideration of the bill was poftponed according to the tenor of the motion before the Houfe, and the queftion on it carried without a divifion.

April 11. Mr. Fox's bill for repealing the prohibitory acts was referred to a committee of the whole Houfe: but, when its inadequacy to the end propofed to be effected by it was noticed by Mr. Jenkinfon, the Secretary acknowledged that this measure in its prefent fimple and unconnected ftate would be infufficient: he, therefore, propofed to follow it up by another bill for repealing the act that impofed a neceflity on fhips coming from America of being provided with certificates from American governors, of giving bonds on clearing out from British ports, and fhewing their manifefts. At the fame time he was ready to confefs that both these measures put together would be no otherwife fufficient for opening the intercourfe propofed than as they would remove obftacles that at prefent prevented it, and be a kind of An introduction to fomething further.

In the House of Lords, April 14, the order of the day being read for the fecond reading of the bill which was defigned to free Ireland from the controu of the British Parliament both with refpect to its internal and external regulations, and thus render it for ever independent of this country, the Earl of Abingdon rofe and expreffed in a very animated fpeech his diffatisfaction; and flated the grounds of his diflike to fome of the leading principles of the bill with great energy and freedom. He thought it was equally politic and juft to leave the internal government of that country to itfelf; but he viewed its external regulations in another light; at least thofe which refpected navigation and commerce. Thefe he was of opinion ought to be under fome limitation; and that limitation mult be ultimately referable to the authority and intereft of this nation, unless we mean to divide Ireland fo abfolutely from us as to confider it in every view as a foreign nation. He thought our confequence at fea would be effentially affected by the prefent bill: and he was pofitive that the trade of this country would receive irreparable injury from its paf

fing into a law. There must be a headfhip, a controuling power fomewhere. Where ought it to be lodged but in England? England ought to have the regulation of every thing that is connected with her commerce that which is her chief fupport. To fet up a power that fhall oppofe and counteract it would be unnatural and dangerous. It would create conftant jealoufies, and be the fource of confufion and difcontent. His lordship ftrengthened his arguments by appeals to the ftatutes of this kingdom; and remarked that the right we have to legislate for Ireland in matters which relate to its external government is a right founded in the conftitution, and is infeparably interwoven with the very first principles of it. He particularly quoted the ftatute of the 20th of Henry VI. as exprefs to the purpose, viz. "The Parliament of England cannot bind Ireland as to their lands, for they have a parliament there, but they may bind them as to things tranfitory, as the fhipping of wool or merchandize, to the intent to carry it to any place beyond the fea." This ftatute expreffes in the cleareft terms the object his lordship contended for; it maintains the right of external legiflation with refpect to navigation and commerce, but difclaims the right of internal legiflation, and affigns the reafon-" for that they have a parliament there. His lord hip afked if Ireland expected to have her commerce protected by Great-Britain? If not, will he be permitted to equip a navy herfelf? If he is once allowed to begin, can any one foretell where the competition will end?

The Duke of Richmond fo far agreed with the noble lord, as to think that the internal legislation of Ireland ought to be exclufively vefted in her own parliament, and that the repeal of the 6th of Geo. I. was nothing more than a free people had a right to demand, and which it would have been equally tyrannical and impolitic in us to have refufed. But he did not coincide with his lordship in the opinion he had advanced refpecting the right of England to interfere in the external regulations of Ireland, To have poffeiled

a controuling power over their com merce, and to have exerted it for the purpose of reftraining their navigation, would have been fuffering the great evil complained of to have exifted ftill in its full force, If, when we have granted all that Ireland follicits, the thould choofe (and it will be for her intereft to choose) to make the British navy her guardian, we fhall poffefs an authority over her, not as the ftretch of power, but as the fair acquifition of mutual confent: our interefts will be come cemented, and our friendship infeparable. His Grace exprefied a wish to be informed whether the new adminiftration were determined to enter into the claims of Ireland, and purfue the plan that had been adopted to redrefs her grievances, and further her welfare? He wished to know whether the prefent bill would be followed up by another? He had the utmost confidence in the noble Duke at the head of the Treafury: but his confidence in the aggregate body of administration was not fo firm, fince he saw mea forming a part of it to whofe pernicious meafures this nation may attri bute its difgrace and its misfortunes, Such men he could not truft, and he was grieved to fee them poffefs fuch high offices in the ftate. He had heard that the cabinet was already divided: and what but divifion could be expect ed from men whofe principles and profeflions have all along been fo diffimilar? He again urged it on the minitry to enter heartily into the affairs of Ireland; and again expreffed an earnest with to be informed of the fteps meant to be pursued for that purpose.

The Duke of Portland apologized for not having it in his power to give any explicit fatisfaction on this head. The fhortness of the time in which he and his friends had been in office; the multiplicity of business which had devolved on them rendered it impoffible for them to fix on any determinate plan; at leaft to have digefted it into fuch a form as would be requifite be fore it could be fubmitted to the judgement of the Houfe. He trusted that the integrity and confiftency of his past conduct, as it entitled him to, would Bb 2

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enfure him the confidence of the public.

The Duke of Richmond profeffed a high veneration for the private character and perfonal honour of the Duke of Portland; but he ftill expreffed his doubts with respect to the principles of the party he had, to the astonishment of the whole nation, connected himfelf with. He wished to call forth their fentiments on the prefent fubject. He had one noble lord in his eye [Lord Stormont] who was never deficient in words when he had an inclination to fpeak. He confidered the prefent occafion as a call on him to be explicit. The ftate of Ireland was in many refpects critical. It called for all the vigilance and wisdom of the government: and he wished the members of it might not forfeit the claim to confidence which they fo freely held out on all occafions to the public. The laws in favour of the Catholics he would not condemn; but without great care and precaution, they might be attended with very alarming confequences. Some accounts ftated the majority of that perfuafion in Ireland to be as feven to one: the moft moderate accounts ftated them to be as four or five to one. This difproportion was a loud call to circumfpection. If the Catholics fhould be admitted into the army they might acquire an influence fo commanding as to affect the state itfelf. After having declaimed fome time on thefe topics, his Grace returned to the fubject more immediately in his eye through the whole of his fpeech, viz. Whether this bill was, or was not to be confidered as final; and begged the noble lord in the green ribband to favour the Houfe with his fentiments on it. Lord Stormont remained filent; but

Lord Townshend vindicated adminiftration from the imputation of dif fention-an imputation founded only on fufpicion, and fuch fufpicion as could do no credit to the perfons who maintained it. The paft oppofition of the refpective members of the cabinet could be no obstacle to their prefent agreement. Coalitions equally ftrange have taken place and maintained their

harmony. And with refpect to those who were fuppofed to be linked together by a fimilarity of principles, and have long been in the habits of political friendship, yet in a recent cafe we have feen how flight and precarious the tenure was by which they were united! Every day faw fome or other fall off from the stock of administration, like ripe fruit in autumn, till the whole tree was left almost bare and naked!With refpect to Ireland fhe deferved to have every preference this country could give her. We had promifed her indulgence; and if we did not inviolably keep our faith how could we expect to be credited for the future? If any alterations were to be made in the original intentions, it would be in a vein of generofity to give her much more than fhe hath asked.

Lord Thurlow declared himself to be totally independent of party. It was a matter of perfect indifference to him who was in, or who was out of adminiftration. He wifhed the present to be more permanent than the laft: and fhould rejoice to fee them entitled to the public confidence, not by what they had done already, but by what they fhould in future do for the profperity of their country. If they meant well to Ireland, he fhould be glad if they would ex, licitly declare their fentiments. If there was nothing dark and equivocal lurking behind, they need not be afraid or afhamed to bring it forward to the view of the public.

The Duke of Chandos attacked adminiftration with fome warmth, and charged the members of it with a forcible invafion of the cabinet. They had driven from the state the ableft man in the kingdom, and could not find one of their whole party capable of filling his high office. [He alluded to the late Lord Chancellor.]

Lord Carlile defended adminiftration against the charge of having taken the cabinet by ftorm: the charge, he faid, was a folitary one; and there was no truth in it, unless it meant that they would not ferve with men who had betrayed the intereft and tarnished the honour of their country by the peace they had made.

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Lord Radnor faid that the charge fhould not remain a folitary one. He would himself repeat it: and it was his fixed fentiment that the prefent adminiftration had forced themselves into offices against the wishes of one of the beft of princes.

The Marquis of Caermarthen was going to enter into a general defence of the Preliminary Articles, when he was interrupted by the Earl of Carlisle, who declared that in his reflections on the terms of peace he only alluded to the flender and precarious provifion that had been made for the faithful and unfortunate loyalifts.

Lord Mansfield put the queftion, and the bill was ordered to be read a third time the fucceeding day.

The fame day in the Houfe of Commons the Lord Advocate moved for leave to bring in a bill for the better regulation of the government of India. This motion he introduced with an explanation of the plan he intended to purfue; and touched on the leading objects of it. The firft related to the government general of Bengal. He propofed a governor and council who fhould have a controuling power over the inferior governments of India; and to the governor general he meant to give a higher degree of power than had heretofore been given to perfons of that defcription. He would even inveft him with a power of acting contrary to the opinion of the council, when the public intereft required him fo to act. But as in that cafe he would have the fole direction of affairs, fo he alone fhould be refponfible for them. The fecond head of the bill related to the inferior governments. He would not give to thofe governments the power of acting in oppofition to the fuperior council; but he would allow them a negative on every propofition, till the will of the governor general and council of Bengal fhould be known. The third head related to the zemin daries and other tenures of lands in India. In the year 1573, when Hindoftan was conquered by the Moguls, atribute was impofed on the Zemindars; and, while they continued to pay this tribute, they confidered themfelves as

abfolute lords of the foil. These higher tributaries let out their zemindaries to inferior tenants, in parts and parcels, at certain ftipulated rents, and, while the conditions of the tenure were performed, the fubordinate tributaries looked on their poffeffions as permanent and fecure. This equitable principle prevailed till the year 1728, when a contrary law, equally fubverfive of all juftice, was introduced, which made the Great Mogul himself abfolute lord of all the foil of India; and fubjected it to his arbitrary difpofal, in spite of every inferior claim, however fanctified by right, or established by cuftom. This unjuft principle hath been made the inftrument of the moft horrible oppreffions; and he meant by his bill to overturn it altogether, that it may never be fet up as a plea for tyrannical exactions. He meant to give strength and permanency to the tenures in India; and render the landholders as fecure in their poffeffions as they would be in England. The other part of the bill moved for refpected the Rajah of Tanjour and the Nabob of Arcot. The fears of the former had been often practifed on; and many, by awakening an alarm in his bofom with respect to the precarious grounds on which he ftood, had extorted from him immense fums. He meant to put a total end to exactions fo unjust and cruel, and baffle the Venal and Oppreffive in all their future attempts to raise a fortune by methods fo bafe and ungenerous. He obferved, that the hopes of the Nabob of Arcot, who had his eye on the poffeffions of the Rajah, had alfo been practifed upon, like the fears of the latter, by the fame clafs of oppreffors, to answer the fame wicked purpose. The bill before the Houfe was defigned to fecure to the Rajah, by act of parliament, all he was at prefent poffeffed of. The debts of thefe Indian potentates ought, he faid, to be enquired into; for though many of them were, he doubted not, juft debts, yet too many of them, he feared, were the debts of corruption. He ftated the neceffity of recalling Mr. Haftings,' and making fuch regulations thould for the future effectually hinder

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the Court of Proprietors from counteracting the will of parliament. He enlarged on the qualifications of the man who fhould be fent to India in the room of Mr. Haftings; and defcribed him fo particularly, that every perfon plainly perceived that the character he drew was defigned for Lord Cornwallis.

Governor Johnstone defended with much zeal his friend Mr. Haltings, and bestowed on him the moft flattering encomiums. He particularly obferved that the conduct of that governor in his late treaty of peace with the Mahrattas was of itself fufficient to confer immortal honour on his name.

Mr. Burke was of opinion that none would be fo proper to be fent to India as thofe who had been already there, and were well acquainted with the laws and cuftoms of the country..

The Lord Advocate totally differed from him in this refpect; and faid that thofe who had occafioned fo much difcord in India were in every view improper to be fent thither again; efpecially as one object of the prefent bill was to reftore harmony, and remove all occafion of divifion, as much as poffible, for the future.

At laft the queftion was put, and it was carried without a divifion.

In the Houfe of Lords, April 15, fome debate took place relative to a bill of divorce inftituted by Mr. Bayntan against his wife Lady Maria, daughter of the Earl of Coventry. The adultery was clearly proved and univerfally admitted; but the baftardizing the child which her ladyfhip might have after paffing the act brought on an argument, in which the Lords Bathurft and Thurlow took an oppofite fide. The former infifted on the neceffity of admitting a specific claufe in a divorce-bill, that thould baftardize the flue of an adulterous connection. The latter would not admit fuch a claufe in any cafe whatever. His general reafon had been frequently given; and it was in brief this-the Houfe was not competent to decide on the justice or injustice of the claims of an individual unbeard.

Lord Radnor, not being thoroughly fatisfied with the determination of the

Houfe in admitting the baffardizing claufe, moved the next day (April 16). in the Houfe of Lords, that the report of the committee on Mr. Bayntun's Divorce bill be deferred till the 7th of May, and that the judges be ordered to attend, to give an answer in point of law to a question he had drawn up for their confideration, which was," Whe ther if a child was born ten months after a woman had eloped from her hufband and lived in open adultery, and where no accefs of parties were proved, but the hufband during that pace had fued for a divorce in the ecclefiaftical court-that child was to be confidered as a baftard?” Lord Thurlow fupported the motion: but it was ftrongly oppofed by Lord Bathurst and Lord Mansfield. It was, however, carried for the adjournment. There appearing for it ten; against it eight.

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In the Houfe of Commons, April 15, Mr. Fox's bill to facilitate a trade with America by repealing the act which required certificates, &c. &c. was read a fecond time, and after a flight debate was committed for Thurf day.

The fame day Lord Mahon moved for leave to bring in a bill for preventing expences at elections for members of parliament. He did not enter into any particular explanation of its contents; he only obferved in general that it differed in many refpects from the bill he brought in last year.

The motion paffed without any op pofition.

The next day, April 16, his lord. fhip prefented the bill, and it was or dered to be printed.

The order of the day for going into a Committee of Ways and Means have ing been called for, the Speaker left the chair; and Mr. Ord having taken the chair of the Committee

Lord John Cavendish arofe to open the budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. He relied on the indulgence of the Committee; to which, he said, he had a more than ordinary claim, having been obliged to negociate a great loan when he had been but ten days in office. He ftated the difficul ties he had to ftruggle with through

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