at the head of the exchequer to take compaffion on the diftrefles of the public, and refift this demand for the 18,000l. Mr Courtney defended the estimates. An Hon. Baronet, he said, was very liberal of abufe on the ordnance office, This was a happy conftitution, where a man might fpeak what he pleased, nay, if he pleafed, without knowing what he was faying, or caring whether any one paid the leaft attention to what he said. Such a man might talk of Augean ftables, but happy it was that the Hon. Baronet's expreffions were generally harmless in their effect. Had he had the misfortune to have lived in former times, and in other places, it might have been equally fafe for him to avow himself the political critic of the day. He had read in Voltaire's general Hiftory of Europe, of a ftrange cuftom that prevailed in Italy, in the pontificate of Pope Alexander Sextus. Cæfar Borgia, his minifter at that time, had a practice of hanging up a pig by the hind legs, and beating it till it grew mad, and foamed at the mouth; a fmall portion of that foam he used to adminifter in a goblet of wine, to fuch as idly and abfurdly found fault with his meafures. Perhaps, had Cæfar Borgia, and Pope Alexander Sextus, lived now, in a fear. city of pork, they might have taken fome of our frothy orators, and hanged them up by the legs, making use of their foam (for he believed it was as much charged with venom) as they used to do that of the pigs of old. Lord John Cavendish agreed to refer the propriety of purchafing Sir Gregory Page's houfe, to the inveftigation of a committee. The fum of 18,000l. was, therefore, deducted; and the motion for 412,269). 7 s. 4 d. was agreed to. On Dec. 17. as foon as the Speaker had taken the chair, Mr Baker rofe, and faid, he would fubmit to the confidera. tion of the Houfe, a few thoughts on a fubject the most important that ever came before parliament. He wished to treat it with an equal degree of folemnity; and would therefore move, that the ferjeant at arms be fent with the mace to the different avenues of the Houfe, to defire the attendance of the members. The ferjeant having acordingly gone, on his return, Mr Baker proceeded to ftate the fubject, to which he called the moft ferious and mature deliberation of the Houfe. After beginning with his cordial condolance to the chair on the late melancholy event, which had deprived the House of the Speaker's attendance for the last two days, he said, if ever the death of fo lamented an individual [the Speaker's mother] could be confidered as a matter of congratulation to the nation at large, it was on this occafion, as it gave the House leifure to pay a due attention to the momentous transactions of the two last days; it gave them leisure to reflect on the circumftances of public affairs, to discriminate the conftitutional danger of the times, and to meet with coolness, and due confideration, a bufinefs the most important that ever came before the parliament of this country. A bill had paffed the House, with almost a majority of two to one; men of the moft independent character and fituation within thefe walls being the supporters of the meafure. The fame had been fent to another House of Parliament, as an object worthy the legiflative adoption, as a corrective of the moft alarming abuse of a delegated power; as a measure big with fecurity and falvation to this country. What was likely to be the event of it, it was not his immediate purpose to point out. His defire was not to eftablifh any propofition on the adoption of the motion of adjournment in the other Houfe on a late day; that would interfere with the conftitutional rights of that august assembly; and he hoped that the tenor of his life would be a teft of his conftituțional principles on the prefent occafion. But his purpofe was, if poffi ble, to get to the bottom of that rumour which had been propagated with fuch amazing industry, that a great perfonage, whom he should not name, had disguised his most marked disapprobation of that bill. There was a variety of circumftances which made an impreflion on the mind, and gave rife to an idea, that fuch a report had been propagated with a view of influencing the determination of the noble perfons under whofe confideration the bill then was. Proxies had been given, and thofe proxies had been very critically revoked. Proxies that had been given to forward the establish. ment of the measure, had been, in the heat of this rumour, withdrawn. And what was the confideration that obvioufly occurred to the mind of any man who gave himself a moment's time for confideration? Now that rumour muft have either created an influence, or had been propagated with a view of creating ît. Mr Baker made fome further obfer vations, and concluded his speech with two motions to the following purport, viz. "That it is now proper to declare the opinion of this Houfe, that to report any opinion or pretended opinion of his Majefly on any matter depending before parliament, is a high crime and misdemeanor, derogatory to the dignity of parliament, and deftructive of the principles of the conftitution." The next refolution was, "That this Houfe will, on Monday next, refolve itself into a committee of the whole House, to take into confideration the present state of the nation." charge, and in the name of his Noble relation challenged them to do it. Mr Fox declared with great warmth, that if he was able to trace up the report to Lord Temple, he would not hefitate that moment to move for his impeachment; it would be his duty to that conftitution which he revered, to impeach the man who fhould dare to violate it; and to prosecute him to convic tion and punishment. He stated the following to be the words which it was reported had been used by the King to Lord Temple: "Whoever votes for this bill, I fhall not only confider as not my friend, but my enemy; and if you, my Lord, can convey my ideas in stronger words, I charge you make use of them." Were any of the Noble Earl's friends then in that House ready to pledge Ld Maitland feconded the first motion. Mr W. Pitt reviewed the circumftances of the times, and took up Mr Baker's propofitions with a peculiar degree of severity on administration. Rumour, themselves that this rumour did injuftice which had stalked with her hundred tongues through this great metropolis, for a few days back, he said, acted in manifeft confederacy with the minifters, For upon what authority had this ru mour been circulated? It had been afferted by the hirelings of adminiftration. The newspapers which had circulated this rumour avowed their authority. They were authorised, they had publicly declared, to affert that the rumour was groundless, that a Noble Lord's interview with his Majefty had not been productive of those confequences which had for fome days before been mentioned. Mr Pitt then made fome obfervations on the privileges of the Peerage, and the right of a Peer in his individual capacity to lay his advice at the feet of bis Sovereign. And if the administration of the prefent day feared fo much for their fituation, if they felt that it was in the power of advice to deprive them of the confidence of their Royal Mafter, if they found themselves not in the poffeffion of that confidence, it was meannefs and littleness in them in the extreme to continue one moment longer in their fituations, It was forcing themfelves upon a fervice which was held upon principles the most discordant with the feelings of men of honour and gentlemen. Mr Pitt concluded by moving the order of the day. Ld Mahon feconded this motion. Mr W. Grenville (brother of Earl Temple) defired that minifters would Speak out, and not myfteriously. He called upon them to ftate the specific to the Noble Earl? No. Was there not a violent prefumption, then, that undue means had been employed to in fluence votes? It was a fact also, that proxies had not only been revoked, but on the day of the laft debate critically given on the other fide; though it was clear, thefe Noble perfons had neither been convicted by arguments, nor converted by reasoning. Mr Fox faid, if the bill was thrown out, and he did not doubt but it would, he would bring in another, thoroughly convinced, that fuch a bill was indifpenfably neceffary for the fafety of India. He cautioned Mr Pitt how he came into power. He had charged him (Mr Fox) with being the champion of influence. He denied it; he was that of conftitutional influence, and no other. When he came into power, he came in like a man. The confideration which that House and the public were pleafed to hold him in, were his only merits, and the cause of his employment. He did not come up the backftairs of St James's with a dark lanthorn in his hand—that would be the mode of the Rt Hon. Gentleman's getting into power; he would come in that difinterefted champion of the conftitution, on the contemptible fecurity of a secret influence, of the ftability of which youthful confidence would infpire with the vain hope. It had been reported, that if a change of miniftry fhould take place, it was intended to diffolve parliament. He hoped Mr Pitt, or whoever fhould fucceed, would not venture to take fo rash a ftep. He befought the Houfe not to Ba adjourn adjourn even for the holidays, but to Several other members fpoke; and the Mr Erskine then moved, "That it is neceffary to the most effential intereft of this kingdom, and peculiarly incumbent on this House, to purfue, with unremit ting attention, the confideration of a fuitable remedy for the abufes which have prevailed in the government of the Britif: dominions in the Eaft Indies, and that this House will confider as an enemy to his country, any perfon who fhall prefume to advife his Majefty to prevent the discharge of this important duty." Sir Henry Houghton approved very much of the first part of the motion, but moved to leave out all the words after "Eaft Indies." Lord North faid, the fituation of the country called for the prefent motion, and it was highly incumbent on the House to accede to it. If the Houfe was fo near its end, it ought to be allowed to make its will; and the House ought not to lofe a day in defending itfelf a gainft the ambitious defigns of thofe who had already afforded ample proof, that they would even wound the conftitution rather than not poffefs themfelves of power. Mr Arden faid, he did not mean at that late hour to go into an argument on the motion; he rofe merely to make a remark or two on what had fallen from the Noble Lord in the blue ribband. The Noble Lord had defired, that the House might make its will before it ex pired; and a moft extraordinary will the Noble Lord had propofed to make for the House. How did it begin; "Imprimis, it is my mind and will, that I will not die." This was literally the fact, for the refolution in effect declared it. Mr Arden reasoned on this with fome humour, and faid, the truth was, minifters, much as they had boafted of that bill, which was, happily for the country, no more, were not very will ing to be fent to their conftituents immediately after having suggested fuch a measure, and endeavoured to carry it through parliament, The amendment was negatived, Ayes 73, Noes 147; and the original motion carried. On Dec. 19. at three o'clock, Lord North came into the Houfe, and took his feat on the oppofition fide, over againit the treafury-bench. He was foon after followed by Mr Fox, and a great many others. Mr Arden moved for a new writ for the borough of Appleby, in the room of Mr W. Pitt, who fince his election had accepted the office of Firft Lord of the Treafury, and Chancellor and Under Treafurer of the Exchequer.-Ordered. Mr Fox hoped, it would not be deemed want of candour in him or others, in the prefent alarming fituation of affairs, to proceed upon the important and preffing business of the nation in the absence of the Rt Hon. Gentleman, who was now become his Majesty's minifter. After fome conteft between Mr Baker and Mr Henry Dundas, who should be first heard, the Speaker decided in favour of Mr Baker. Mr Baker then rose, and without any preface moved, that this Houfe will, at its rifing, adjourn to Monday next. Mr Dundas faid, that the motion he intended to have made was, that they should adjourn only till to-morrow; and his reafon for this was, that the land-tax bill, which had this day been reported, stood for the third reading; and it was of the utmoft confequence to the nation that it should pafs with all imaginable fpeed. Every one knew that the 5th of January would be a day that great pay. ments must be made; and how could they be made, unless the bill, by which the money was to be raised, should pafs before that day? To stop the bill now would be like recurring to former times, when fupplies were with-held till grie. vances fhould be redreffed. He would move therefore in amendment, to leave out the words, " Monday next," for the purpose of inserting the words, "Tomorrow," and adding thefe," For the purpose of reading the land-tax bill the third time, if it should be then found ingroffed." He accordingly moved this amendment. Mr Fox faid, that no man could be more anxious than he was to fupport the credit of the nation, and confequently to provide for the payments which would become due on the 5th of January; but when gentlemen would recollect that the -bill had only one ftage more to pafs through in that Houfe, they muft laugh at the idea, that delaying the third reading till Monday would prevent its paffing till the 5th of next month. It was plain, that the fcheme of adjournment to morrow was merely to get the bill paffed, and then to enter upon that abominable idea of diffolving the parliament. He did not mean to queftion the prerogative of the crown in diffolving parliaments; but no one would fay that it ought to be exerted merely to fuit the conveniency of an ambitious young man. Mr Fox then took notice of the India bill, and the great majority it had to fanctify it, and the means that had been employed to deftroy it in the House of Lords, means that every Englishman muft think of with refentment, and hudder at with horror. Mr Fox faid, the view with which he acted was, that they ought to hold the bill in their hands, as á fecurity that they should be permitted to meet and confider the state of the nation. He again enforced the danger in the prefent circumftances of diffolving the parliament; and declared, he would leave no means untried of bringing thofe men to a proper account, who fhould advife the crown to adopt fo unconftitutional a measure, which he was confirmed the House had a right to expect, notwithstanding the infinuation of the learned gentleman of the ufual recess. After a long debate, the amendment was rejected, and the original motion was carried without a divifion. At the conclufion of the above bufinefs moft of the members retired, when Mr Lee, late Attorney-General, got up, and moved, that the further confideration of Sir Thomas Rumbold's bill of pains and penalties be deferred to the 20th of July. This was opposed by Mr Baker, and a divifion enfued; when the numbers were, for the motion 27, against it 8; majority 19. What is rather fingular, the Speaker, and four tellers, added to thofe members who divided, made no more than forty, the exact number that conftitutes a House. On Dec. 22. the Hon. Mr Grenville obferved, that as the bufinefs of the day might occafion several allufions to a Noble relation of his, and as several things thrown out in a former debate appeared to his mind in the form of threats; he bad authority from that Noble perfon to declare, that the place which he had lately accepted from his Majefty, he had refigned, in order to meet the accufation or inquiry fairly, and without any cover or affiftance from office, whatever the confequences of that accufation or inquiry might be. Mr Fox was not a little surprised at the mention of threats, which he had not heard; and as no fuch thing existed, this could not be a substantial reason for the refignation thus announced. The tranfaction lately and loudly complained of, was of a nature not eafily proved; and whoever had the meanness to be guilty of it, could not be supposed destitute of the cunning, or addrefs, to prevent a legal conviction. Though the cafe had been otherwife, and the most express documents could be produced, furely there is nothing on the face of the resolutions of this House that should tempt any man to fhrink from his duty. There was not, at least in his idea of the business then to be agitated, any thing perfonal whatever; and therefore he hoped the House would not be influenced by any thing now faid. Mr Dundas then moved the third reading of the land-tax bill, which, after a fhort debate, was agreed to, and paffed. The Houfe having gone into a committee to take into confideration the state of the nation, Mr Erskine rose. He faid, our prefent circumftances were more peculiarly critical and alarming than those of almoft any other period of our history. This had difpofed him to come forward with the proposition he had prepared. It was undoubtedly the prerogative of the crown to diffolve the parliament; the very idea of an addrefs, which he now meant to move, admitted, that his Majefty could, when he pleafed, put fuch a prerogative in exercife; ftill it might be neceffary to afk, whether the exercife of fuch a power, in fuch circumftances, and for fuch ends, was prudent or politic? or whether, on an honeft and unreferved declaration of the state of public affairs, his Majefty might not be inclined to poftpone a diffolution, at leaft for the prefent? - Mr Erskine then adverted to the ftate of India, which all allowed required fome immediate, ftrong, and fpecific regulation,-the India bill, which had been fupported by a large and refpectable majority of that branch of the legislature before whom the fubject had been canvaffed for above two years, while those who had determined its its fate had not confidered it for more than a few days;-and feveral other important objects, recommended from the -throne to the difcuffion of parliament, which must be loft by the meditated diffolution, for which no one good reason could be affigned. He concluded a long and able fpeech with moving an addrefs to his Majefty against an immediate diffolution of parliament. Col. Fitzpatrick feconded the motion. Mr Dundas did not mean to difpute the right of the Commons to addrefs his Majefty against a diffolution or prorogation of parliament; but fuch a measure should not be adopted without a very ftrong reafon indeed; and he begged to know what the reason was that could - support such a step. The prefent motion had no other foundation than rumour, a foundation by much too weak to support the fuperftructure gentlemen wanted to rear upon it. Whence the report of a diffolution, at which gentlemen were fo alarmed, could fpring, he was at a lofs to determine; for if he could be fuppofed to know any thing of the intentions of thofe who are the present advisers of the crown, and of courfe that from that knowledge the committee would give any credit to what he should advance, if he could pledge himself for any thing, it would be for this, that his Rt Hon. friend would not advise any fuch measure as a diffolution. If gentlemen were determined to carry through the addrefs, he .certainly did not mean to oppose it; but he intreated gentlemen to confider well if there were at present any grounds for adopting fo ferious and folemn a meafure, which ought never to be propofed but on the most folemn occafions. Mr Banks said, he had authority to declare that the minifter had no intention, either to diffolve or prorogue the parliament. Mr Fox begged that gentlemen would excufe him, if, notwithstanding the pofitive affurances that had been given by the two laft fpeakers, he ftill continued of opinion that the addrefs ought to be carried. The Rt Hon. Gentleman alluded to no doubt meant to keep his word; but perhaps, by a prevalency of fecret influence, the diffolution of parliament may hereafter, unknown to him, be refolved on. It was therefore the duty of the committee to adopt a meafure which would guard the constitution against the baneful confequences of fecret influence, and banish it for ever from about the throne. Gov. Johnftone faid, he might venture to call himself an independent man in giving his fentiments on the prefent queftion; for he differed in opinion from both fides of the House. It seemed to be agreed, that the parliament ought not to be diffolved. This he was ready to controvert. The Lords had thought proper to throw out a bill which a great majority of this Houfe had carried. Now he understood that a Rt Hon. Secretary on the floor (meaning Mr Fox) had given notice, on the day the bill was loft, and before he had refigned his situation, that he would bring it in again with just such an alteration in title, as should render it admiffible into the House of Lords. But if the Lords had thought it too infamous a bill to pass into a law, could they, confiftently with their past conduct, agree to a bill which differed only in name from that which they had before rejected.-And therefore from the oppofite opinions of both Houses, and their tenacioufness of these opinions, he would not hesitate to declare that the parliament ought to be diffolved, or that the public affairs would be involved in ruin; and he would deem him a pufillanimous minifter indeed, who would fuffer himfelf to be driven from the helm, by any refolution of parliament against a diffolution, which the fafety of the public called for. Ld North faid, he was willing to pay every mark of refpect to the Rt Hon. Gentleman's affurance; -he was not a friend of his, but he had always treated him with refpect, though he had not been fo treated by him; but as the House faw that men out of office could prefume to give advice to their Sovereign, it ought to be the ftudy of the Houfe to take fuch measures for their fecurity as their wif dom might fuggeft. An Hon. Gentleman had talked of the Rt Hon. Secretary who fat next him. He certainly was not just at this time, the Rt Hon. Secretary; but he would tell the committee what he really was, and what he trufted and believed he long would be: He is, fays the Noble Lord, my Rt Hon. friend, and I am proud to say, that we are bound to one another by the ftrictest ties-by honour, by tried faith, by mutual confidence, and by a bond which will always be inviolable among honeft men-by the experience that our con nection |