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A flight amendment having been propofed by the Secretary at War, the motion was at length agreed to.

March 14. Mr. Alderman Sawbridge moved for leave to bring up a petition from the deputies of the patent officers, and others, in the Customs, whofe patents and places were to be abolished, if a bill then before the Houfe were to pafs into a law. This bill, he faid, profeffed to be a bill for diminishing the influence of the crown; but, in his opinion, it would be found to operate directly contrary to this avowed object, by abfolutely extending

that influence.

Mr. Burke feconded the motion; and the petition was ordered to lie on the table till the fecond reading of the bill. By way of fupplement to General Rofs's motion, Sir Cecil Wray moved for copies of all letters or orders from the Secretary at War, Commander in Chief, or any other of his Majesty's minifters, promifing half pay to the officers of corps raifed in America.

General Smith feconded the motion; and the Commander in Chief affenting to it, it paffed without a debate.

The principal fubject of debate on the 17th and 18th of March was the American trade bill. Mr. Pitt ob ferved, that the outlines of it had been communicated to the commiffioners at Paris, and they were highly gratified with it, and admired the generofity of this country.

Lord Sheffield was greatly diffatisfied with the claufe, which gives an open trade between the United Provinces and our Weft-India islands. He was apprehenfive that it was an illjadged piece of generofity; and that our own trade with those islands would be effentially injured by it. "I withed, faid he, to have stopped with the first claufe which opens our ports to and from America. We fhall have tranfports and feamen in plenty unemployed, to carry our manufactures to America and the Weft-Indies, and bring from thofe countries what we want. It will be time enough to give America her peculiar advantages, when we have an opportunity of treating with her for advantages in return. In

the mean time, fo far from giving up any part of the carrying trade, we fhould exert ourfelves to prevent our unemployed feamen from paffing over to the Americans."

The claufe, however, paffed; and the bill was ordered to be reprinted.

On the 20th, the fame bill was again taken into confideration. Some objected to particular claufes, and others to its general principle.

Mr. Pitt obferved, that fome bill was neceffary, and that he could not think of a better: but that he would give himself no further trouble about it, as it had met with such delays and oppofitions. Mr. Burke urged the going forward with it without delay: but Mr. Eden thought delay was preferable to the enacting an ill-digested law.

The further confideration of it was adjourned till the Monday.

The delay attending the formation of a new administration caufed various fpeculations and conjectures in the minds of the people at large, and became at length a fubject of warm and interesting debate in the lower House. It was attributed to various caufes, as fancy or prejudice prevailed. Some imagined that his Majefty was averfe to the much talked of coalition, and fearful of admitting into his councils men who had fo long been at enmity with each other, and whofe political principles, according to their own declarations, were at the greatest variance poffible. Others thought that the members. of the coalition had not agreed among themfelves on the terms of union, nor finally adjufted the balance of power; that the way had not been fufficiently cleared to admit of an amicable alliance, nor fo guarded as to prevent mutual jealousies of encroachment on each other's prerogatives. With fuppofitions fuch as thefe people amufed or perplexed their fancies: nor were there wanting fome, who pofitively afferted that the delay in forming an adminiftration arofe wholly from the impotli bility of getting perfons to accept of its offices; and that even royal follicitation became ineffectual, when the view of our public fituation rendered t

too hazardous for common fortitude to embark in the vessel of state.

An administration, however, became more and more neceffary every day; and the fubject was brought forward in the House of Commons, March 24th, by Mr. Coke, who made a motion to the following purport, viz.

That an humble addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, that his Majefty will be graciously pleafed to take into his ferious confideration the very diftracted and unfettled ftate of the empire, after a long and exhaufting war; and that his Majesty would therefore condefcend to a compliance with the wishes of this Houfe, by forming an adminiftration entitled to the confidence of the people, and fuch as may have a tendency to put an end to the unfortunate divifions and diftractions of the country."

The Earl of Surrey feconded the motion; but what was very remarkable, his lordship acknowledged that it had fome appearance of an infringement on the prerogative of the crown. However, he thought every confideration ought to yield to the public intereft; and that the motion, whatever appear. ance it might bear, was fully juftified by the neceffity of the times. Our negotiations are not finally fettled abroad, confufion prevails at home, an adminiftration is therefore effentially requifite to adjust our affairs, and give power and efficacy to government.

Mr. Buller thought the motion was needlefs; and faid he was confident that his Majefty was no bar to any arrangement for a new miniftry. The two great leaders of the coalition were only Aruggling for pre-eminence of power. Intereft and ambition were the fprings of their conduct, while the public good was left to the mercy of chance!

Mr. Martin entertained the fame ill opinion of the members of the coalition. Their profeffions were an infult to the common fenfe of mankind: and their conduct was an equal mixture of infamy and abfurdity. He confidered Lord North as the caufe of all the calamities which have befallen this country, and all the difgrace that hath tarnished its honour, and made it the mock of the whole world; and he was determined

never to give his fupport to an adminiftration that admitted into any of its departments a man who had already forfeited the confidence of the public, and who could not be again trufted, without infinite hazard to the state.

Mr. Fox declared that the Rockingham party, to which he was attached both by principle and connection, was not able to fupport an administration independent of an alliance with another party. It was now time to forget former animofities, and establish a ministry on an extensive foundation-one not liable to be undermined by fecret intrigues, nor fhaken by public oppofition. With a view to effect fo im-. portant an end, he had formed a connection with the noble lord in the blue ribband; and he thought the motives with which he had acted would justify his conduct to the nation at large; as he knew they juftified it to those of his friends, in particular, whofe judge. ment he had great confidence in, and from whofe approbation he received the utmost fatisfaction. After all, he felt himself juftified to his own confcience. He knew the principles on which he acted were upright and conftitutional; and with a conviction fo pleasing, he fhould be indifferent to the arts and infinuations of fecret enmity, and fuperior to the attacks of open calumny.Mr. Fox made the retort courteous on Mr. Buller. He, it feems, had formerly left his old connections to join Lord North. Was it more reprehenfible for himself and them who acted with him to do that in a body now, which the honourable gentleman had thought proper to do fingly as an individual about fourteen years ago? If verfati lity be a crime, let thofe only who have ⚫ been confiftent arraign it.

He thought the prefent addrefs, moved for by Mr. Coke, no infringement, not even an apparent one, on the royal prerogative, and in that refpect he conceived it was treated too feriously by the noble earl who feconded it. It was perfectly within the fpirit and letter of the conftitution to enquire into and cenfure the conduct of those who advised the crown, whenever they made an ill use of their influence:

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and the want of a regular and refponfible administration, for five weeks, afforded ftrong prefumption that the crown had been ill advifed. Here Mr. Fox began to be perfonal in his allufions: and looking at Mr. Jenkinson, he faid, "If any man wifhed to fee who it was that had for five weeks paft governed the kingdom by fecret inAuence operating behind the throne, and ill-advifed his Majefty, let him go to the other Houfe; he would there find the original of the gloomy, dingy portrait he had drawn. Let them mark the man, they would fee difficulty, delay, fullennefs, and all the diftinguishing features of what had been falfely termed an interreguum of administration." The allufion could not mifs its way to Lord T- W

Governor Johnstone reprobated, in very strong language, this invidious attack on a character fo diftinguished as the learned lord's, for abilities and for integrity a character on which Mr. Fox had himself bestowed every eulo gium that greatnefs could deferve, or eloquence could give-a character fo far fhielded by its uprightnefs, that when Lord North was compelled to refign his adminiftration, Mr. Fox declared that the Lord Chancellor ought to continue to hold the feals, and be a fingle exception to the general change that took place in the miniftry. He confidered the prefent charge as totally groundlefs. It was without proof. It was not even pretended to be founded on any thing but jealoufy and fufpi

cion.

As to a coalition of parties, he was not averse to it; and he wifhed to fee the three great parties united, and men of the firft abilities of every defcription invited to take a fhare in the bufinefs of administration. He acknowledged that the choice of minifters was a part of the prerogative; but a wife and good King will not confult his own partial attachments or private feelings. The public good should alone determine the royal choice. He avowed his former predilection for Lord North, and thought himfelfjuftified in fupporting him, when he was convinced that he was acting for the good of his coun

try. His conduct, however, in the late junction with a fet of men whofe avowed principles were fo inimical to his own, had certainly leffened him in the efteem and confidence of many of his friends.

Mr. Fox difclaimed any perfonal difrefpect to the learned lord. He only adverted to him in a public capacity; and thought his great abilities only rendered. him the more dangerous, when they were not directed to a beneficial end.

Mr. Jenkinfon treated Mr. Fox's infinuations with fome degree of warmth and feverity. He faid the clamour about fecret influence was well enough calculated to affect the minds of the multitude, and fet fpeculation afloat to ferve the purposes of faction and political intrigue: but it had no foundation in real ty. With refpect to his own conduct he could acquit himself to his country and to his own mind. He never gave advice but what he thought right and falutary; nor ever attempted any undue influence over his Majeity's councils. He could appeal to the noble lord in the blue ribband for the inte grity and confiftency of his conduct, during the ten years they had served together in office: and he would afk him whether that fecret influence, fo much talked of, ever exifted? He confided in his lordship's honour, and fub mitted to abide by his determination. With refpect to the addrefs moved for, he could not fay it met his concurrence. He really viewed it in a light more ferious than others did; and confidered it as a very dangerous precedent. It would be made a plea on future occafions; one innovation would generate another; the effential prerogative of royalty would gradually be broken in upon, and, in the end, all but the name of a King would be loft. The past events of our history fhould warn us how dan gerous it is to tamper with the rights of the crown. If we would keep the constitution in vigour, we must keep it inviolate; and for the Houfe to inter fere in minifterial arrangements is in fome degree to touch the fceptre itself. He did not fee that an interregnum in adminiftration was a circumitance fo very alarming as the fears of fome,

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and the machinations of others, had united to reprefent it. In the year 1757 this country was three months without an administration, and yet, at that period, we were engaged in a bloody and expenfive war. Upon the whole, he confidered the motion as improper, and fuch as could not meet with his concurrence, while he revered the conftitution, and was willing to fupport its diftinct powers in their own fphere. Mr. Macdonald thought, if a grievance did exift, the Houfe had a right to addrefs the throne for relief. If the want of an administration be really a grievance, we were authorized by the fpirit of the conftitution, by the laws and cuftoms of the Houfe, to addrefs his Majefty on the occafion, and humbly follicit redrefs. But the prefent motion appeared to him in a queftionable fhape. It had nothing explicit in it. It was equivocal and indefinite. It was not fufficiently respectful to his Majefty, and had an ill tendency. He reprobated the coalition in the fevereft terms; made himself merry with the appellations of patriots and whigs; and declared that he thought democracy more to be feared than regal power. Convinced that the addrefs had at leaft a tendency to encroach on the prerogative, and might have a dangerous iffue, he moved for the order of the day.

Mr. Fox, in reply to Mr. Macdonald, vindicated the coalition on the old commodious principle: and ftill maintained it to be his opinion, as well as the opinion of the people without the Houfe, that the crown was under the influence of fecret councils; and that it was intirely to be attributed to that influence that the new administration had not been formed. Neither he nor his friends were any obftruction to it. He confidered the motion before the Houfe as warrantable in itself, and fuch as the circumftances of our affairs rendered abfolutely neceffary.

Sir C. Turner rofe to speak, becaufe, he faid, it was expected in Ireland, and in America, and in almost every part of England that he should fpeak. As for Lord North, he ought to have been expelled the Houfe; and if he had

been impeached in time, it might have prevented a great waste of money, and a great wafte of blood; and we should not have looked fo foolish as we do at prefent, both in our own eyes, and in the eyes of all Europe. But he was forry to fee his worthy friend Charles linked with fuch a man. The other, indeed, might be a good man in private life for aught he knew to the contrary: but he was a very bad minister: and he was afraid he would make others who had joined him as bad as himself. He wished, however, that the contrary might take place. But he had little hope of it. The power of reformation is not fo efficacious as the power of corruption.

Lord North maintained that the coa lition was formed on the most fair, candid, and honourable principles. When he confented to be a member of it, he difdained stickling for power and pre-eminence.

His views were of another and a nobler kind. It was to put an end to that difcord which had fo long rended this country into the moft fatal divifions, and endeavour, if poffible, to reftore unanimity, and thus effect the most effential interests of the nation. The American war had indeed terminated unfortunately: but it was not through his ill conduct. If his measures were fuccefslefs, they were well intended: and if he were to be expelled the Houfe, it would be for an unavoidable misfortune and not a voluntary fault. That point is, however, no

longer a fubject of debate. Former objects of altercation are entirely removed: and nothing now remains but to unite in one grand object, that fhall fwallow up every other, and leave no room for the interference of party and faction-and that is-the public welfare! His Lordship declared, that if this great end could be more effec tually fecured by forming an admini❤ ftration out of the three leading par ties of the kingdom, he would give it his hearty concurrence. As his defign was difinterested, he would not permit any private attachments or felf ih prejudices to obftruct the prosecu tion of it.

As he had been called upon by Mr.
Jenkinfon

Jenkinfon to declare whether he knew of any fecret influence that had been employed to get an undue afcendancy over his Majesty, at the time when he was at the head of the miniftry, his fordship took an opportunity of exculpating that gentleman from the charge. that had been brought against him on this head; and he freely confeffed that he never knew that Mr. Jenkinson had given any advice to his fovereign that ke would not, if occafion called for it, publicly juftify. He alfo bore the fame testimony to Lord Thurlow. He always found him an able, honeft, and upright man; and believed him worthy of the office he filled.

Lord Surry declared, that, in feconding the motion, he had in view no party object, but the general good of his country. It was not coalition, it was not oppofition that lay nearest his heart; but the welfare of the ftate.

The original motion was at length carried, with about four diffentient voices.

March 27. Lord Ludlow acquainted the Houfe, that his Majefty had been waited on with their address of Monday laft, for forming a new miniftry, which he received very graciously, and was pleafed to return for anfwer, "That it was his earneft defire to do every thing in his power to comply with the withes expreffed by his faithful Com

He acquiefced in the motion before the Houfe; and obferved that the pre-mons." fent administration had received fuffieient waming of their fate, and that it was high time that they should retire to make room for others.

Mr. Pitt did not think that the motion of an addrefs was unconftitutional; but he thought the prefent had no tendency to effect the end defigned by it. It defired the King to form an administration. But after all it must be left to his Majefly to fix on the proper perfons to fill the feveral offices of government. Did the gentlemen who were eager to carry this addrefs to his Majefty fuppofe that it would have any effect on his choice, or that it would accelerate the object they had in view? Would it relieve the diftreffes of the ftate? Would it produce any effect but what will take place independently of it? Was it not in every view needlefs and impertinent? He fpoke very pointedly on the fubject of renouncing old habits and prejudices in order to make room for new alliances and connections. Changes fuch as he had feen were new to him. He had been unused to them in practice: and even in theory they appeared fuch wonders that he could not think of them without fome degree of aftonishment. He knew not what it was to hoot a man in the morning, and in the evening admit him as a bofom friend. He was as yet too unhacknied in the ways of the political world to be reconciled to contradictions fo flagrant as these!

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March 29. Mr. Ord brought up a report from the Committee of Supply for providing for the militia. It was read and agreed to. The fubject which this day engaged the attention of the Houfe was of a private nature. refpected Mr. Williams's divorce bill, and the claims of the children born after his feparation from his wife. Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke faw the question in two different lights. Mr. Fox admitted the adultery of Mrs. Williams; but he was of opinion that it would be an act of hardihip, inconfistent with the liberal conftitution of this country, to declare the children illegitimate, and debar them from every claim to protection before they are capable of making any defence. He did not mean to add to the misfortunes of Mr. Williams; and the fore he would not object to the introa ction of a bill, which fhould perpetuate the evidence on which that gentleman fuppofed the illegitimacy of the children might be proved; fuch a bill might guard against the injury he might otherwife fuftain by the death of any of the witnesses, before the chil dren should arrive at fuli age.

Mr. Burke, on the contrary, was of opinion that the illegitimacy of the children followed by neceffary confequence from the adultery of the wife: from thence he inferred the propriety of baftardizing the children, by way of doing justice to an injured husband, Take the matter in the other view,

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