had minifters fhewn themfelves cordially difpofed to union; all the Houfe wanted was, to maintain their just right of controul over minifters, and not to be made a mere appendage to a minifter for the purpose of granting fupplies.

Mr Dempfter wifhed the gentlemen who had negotiated for union might have ftill four and twenty hours given them to use their laft efforts to bring it to conclufion.

Mr Fox and Mr Pitt then explained their conduct respecting a negotiation.

The Hon. Charles Martham trusted, that gentlemen would yet put an end to their delicacies, and that an union might Iftill be formed.

Mr Hopkins, in that hope, and to 'prevent further inflammation, said, he would move the previous question.

Mr Powys thought, that unlefs there was any farther negotiation pending between the two Rt Hon. Gentlemen, the motion for the addrefs fhould be put, fince the character of the House was involved in it.

Mr Chancellor of Exchequer declared, that no other negotiation was pending; and as the queftion for the addrefs was moved, he thought it better that the fenfe of the Houfe fhould be taken upon it.

The Houfe then divided on the que. ftion for the address; Ayes 201, Noes 189; majority 12.

The receipt-tax bill being read, March 2. Mr Huffey moved a claufe, to fubject to the payment of a ftamp duty, all bills drawn upon bankers tranfacting bufinefs within ten miles of the drawer's place of refidence, fuch drafts being payable to order. The claufe paffed without oppofition.-The question was then put, that this bill with its amendments do país. It paffed accordingly.

In a committee of ways and means, March 3. refolved, that the charge of pay and cloathing the militia be paid out of the land-tax for 1784.

Lord Maitland brought forward his motion, with a view of determining, Whether the office of Conftable of the Tower was to be confidered as a military or a civil employment? Whether Lord George Lennox, lately appointed to that office, might or might not fit and vote in that Houfe? Which, after long debate, was determined in the affirmative.

The House, in a committee of fupply,

without any debate, voted 701,2571. for the ordinary of the navy, including halfpay of naval and marine officers.

The Solicitor-General's convicts bill was agreed to with amendments.

On March 4. the Speaker, more numerously attended than ufual with mem bers, went up to St James's with the addrefs. And when he returned, he read his Majefty's anfwer, viz.

"Gentlemen, I have already expreffed to you how fenfible I am of the advantages to be derived from fuch an adminiftration as was pointed out in your unanimous refolution; and I affured you that I was defirous of taking every ftep moft conducive to fuch an object. I remain in the fame fentiments; but I contínue equally convinced, that it is an object not likely to be attained by the difmiffion of my prefent ministers,

I must repeat, that no charge or complaint, nor any specific objection, is yet made against any of them. If there were any fuch ground for their removal `at present, it ought to be equally a reafon for not admitting them as a part of that extended and united adminiftration which you ftate to be requifite.

I did not confider the failure of my recent endeavours as a final bar to the accomplishment of the purpose which I had in view, if it could have been attain. ed on those principles of fairness and equality, without which it can neither be honourable to thofe who are concerned, nor lay the foundation of fuch a ftrong and ftable government as may be of lafting advantage to the country. But I know of no further fteps, which I can take, that can be effectual to remove the difficulties which obftru&t that defirable end.

I have never called in queftion the right of my faithful Commons to offer me their advice on every proper occafion, touching the exercife of any branch of my prerogative: I fhall be ready at all times to receive it, and give it the most attentive confideration: and they will ever find me difpofed to fhew my regard to the true principles of the conftitution, and to take fuch measures as may bett conduce to the fatisfaction and profperity of my people."

As foon as the answer was read, Mr Fox rofe. He faid he would not then enter into the confideration of the answer that had been made to the addrefs; he would barely remark, that it appeared

to

to him to be final on the part of his Majefty; and therefore the Houfe could not well take more than one step farther: and as this proceeding on the part of the House ought to be final alfo, there ought to be due time for gentlemen to turn the fubject in their minds, what that mea fure fhould be. He then moved, That his Majefty's anfwer be taken into confideration on Monday next. This motion was agreed to without any debate.

On Mr Eden's motion, the order of the day was then read, for taking into confideration the report of the finances of the Eaft-India Company.

Mr Welbore Ellis faid, the Houfe feemed to him to have laid it down as a rule of practice, not to go into any public bufinefs whatever until queftions that immediately concerned the privilege and dignity of the Houfe were firft difpofed of. Upon this principle he moved that the order be adjourned to Monday. Mr Fox feconded the motion, faying, that he did it not with any view to delay public business, or to with-hold any fupply; and he intended that his conduct thould prove the fincerity of his profeffions. But furely when a matter of fuch moment as the King's anfwer was to be difcuffed, and to be followed up with fome measure that ought to be final, he thought that twice twenty-four hours could not be deemed too long a time for deliberation.

Mr Pitt faid, the Rt Hon. Gentleman wifhed not to be thought defirous to ftop fupplies: but when he proceeded to delay from day to day, it was very natural for people to think that he meant to refufe. The mutiny-bill ftood for tomorrow: he hoped that when gentlemen confidered how very foon the mutiny-act was to expire, they would not think it expedient to put off the confideration of that bill any longer; all therefore that they ought in reafon to expect, was, that the Houfe fhould now adjourn till to-morrow; and then in full House it might be determined, whether all bufinefs fhould be poftponed to Monday. This propofition was agreed to, and the Houfe adjourned.

Accordingly next day, March 5. the Houfe having met, Mr Fox rofe, and moved to poftpone the mutiny-bill. He thought it highly improper to go into any bufinefs till his Majefty's anfwer was taken into confideration. This delay, for delay he fuppofed it would be called,

was a refpect due to the King and to the Houfe. There was not at prefent an abfolute neceffity for paffing the bill nor any thing unusual in the delay: the bill of last year was not committed till the 14th.-The mutiny-bill, he faid, was one of thofe points wherein the Houfe must repose a personal confidence in ministers. He defcribed it as a bill contrary to the conftitution, but nes. ceffary as a repelling power against the ftrength of foreign nations. He then moved, that the House should, on Monday next, refolve itself into a committee on the mutiny-bill.

The Secretary at war was furprised that the Rt Hon. Gentleman could think of poftponing the bill. It was matter of public fafety, and should not be poftponed. It had nothing whatever to do with confidence in minifters, for the bill muft pafs, or the nation would be exdangered.

Sir Adam Ferguffon obferved, that money was already voted for the fubfiftence of 17,000 men. So that what remained to be done by the mutiny-bill amounted to no more than to impower the crown to keep the men voted under difcipline; and he was confirmed in opinion, that, under thefe circumstances, the crown, in cafe parliament was diffolved, could keep the army together by his royal authority. [The Houfe here, as with one voice, exclaimed No! No!]

Mr Eden expreffed horror at the fentiments of Sir Adam Ferguffon, and thought them the more dangerous as coming from a lawyer. He knew well what minifters wanted-they wanted the mutiny-bill to pafs, that they might diffolve the parliament.

Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer obferved, that two fyftems feemed interwoven with the argument; a fyftem of delay and a fyftem of intimidation. The fituation of the Houfe, he faid, would clear minifters from the imputation of delay; and he was confident the Houfe did not with the mutiny-bill fhould be run to a day; for, fhould the Lords alter the bill, there would not be time to bring in a new one before the prefent expired.

Lord North defired minifters to recol. left that, when the ordnance-estimates came before the Houfe, it was themfelves who caufed two days delay; that when the navy-eftimates came before the Houfe, they were alfo unprepared, and

another

another delay had taken place. Thefe delays were with minifters. Refpecting intimidations, there were, he faid, private intimidations, which alfo had their force. The royal meffage delivered before Christmas was an intimidation. It was a meffage with two meanings; and when it came to be confidered by the Houfe, thofe who acted under the influence of private intimidations explained it away. The dissolution of parliament he thought another intimidation; and, were it now to be diffolved, it would be a general grievance.

He adverted to

what fell from Sir Adam Ferguffon. It' was not, he said, confiftent with the law of this country, that the King should keep up an army without the authority of law; and, as to martial law, the King in time of peace could not refort to it without a mutiny-bill. His Lordfhip was clear, that after the difpofal of his Majefty's anfwer, the mutiny-bill was the next great object for confideration; and he could take upon him to say, that no body would be fo abfurd as to with the bill fhould not pass.

Mr Powys wifhed the motion might be carried for the fake of confiftency, and in order to confider the King's an fwer maturely. That anfwer was an anfwer indeed! In fupporting the motion to poftpone, he could fay for himself he did it not factioufly; but hoped minifters would indulge the Houfe a day or two to weep, with twenty four hours to mourn over the funeral of the Commons. Mr Rigby said, he had fat in that Houfe above forty years, and not one inftance occurred to him in all that time, in which a minister dared to exist in defiance of that Houfe. He treated the idea of the Lords (whom fome fool or other bad, he, understood, called the hereditary reprefentatives of the people) altering the mutiny-bill with great difdain. The mutiny. bill laid a heavy tax upon the fubject, and if the Lords made the fmalleft alteration in it, that House, he faid, ought to throw it out, let the confequence be what it might, or their independence and importance were gone for ever. He laughed at the affertion lately made by a crown lawyer," that it was the bounden duty of that Houfe on its allegiance to receive fuch minifters as the King fhould appoint." If that were the cafe, the crown might fay, fic volo, fic jubeo, and put on the Treafury bench the weakest and wickedeft men to be found in the

kingdom. He reprobated the doctrine that had been laid down, that the King could keep up the army without a mutiny-bill. He said, every soldier would be told he was at liberty the moment the prefent mutiny bill expired, provided another mutiny bill had not by that time paffed; and he desired to know how the army, in that cafe, would be held together? What constable would billet them? What inn-keeper would receive their horses into his stables, or the men into his houfe? What addreffing Mayors would order their quarters? Would the Grocers Company take them into their hall? Would the worshipful Company give them a dinner? The pofition was not only the most unconftitutional, but the moft ridiculous and impracticable that ever was held.

Lord Mulgrave reprobated the politi. cal doctrine of the Rt Hon. Gentleman. The mutiny-bill, in particular cafes, if insisted on as a separate prerogative of the Commons, and only a matter of form in the Peers, might occafionally be employed as an improper inftrument for accommodating that House to its own views.

Several other members spoke; and on the question being put, the numbers were, Ayes 171, Noes 162; majority 9.

On Monday, March 8. the day ap. pointed for taking his Majesty's answer into confideration, the Houfe was fo crowded, that a friend of Sir James Low. ther's [Mr Grimstone] could not obtain admittance. Sir James complained of this to the Speaker, and a momentary converfation took place between them, which ended in a motion for clearing the gallery. This was rigorously put in execution; and thus near 200 perfons, who had fat there from eleven in the morning till half after three, were obliged to retire.

The order of the day being read, Mr Fox rofe, and recapitulated every step that had been taken from his late difmitfion from office to the moment he was then speaking. He complained of being turned out merely because he had been fupported by a majority of that House, on measures of the most difficult and important nature: his India bill, and the reduction of the army, were the meafures alluded to, which must neceffarily make himself obnoxious to the crown.If minifters made it their study to please the crown, they were safe-but if they

dared

dared to do their duty, their ruin was inevitable. As to the King's anfwer, he would confider it as the answer of the minifter. It was big with contradictions and fcandalous duplicity. He could not have believed that the Rt Hon. Gentle man could have again dared to infult the Houfe of Commons, by afking the reafon for their refolutions. The Houfe of Commons had often addreffed without ftating their reafons. He inftanced the addrefs in the cafe of the American war, when the House gave, as now, a general reason; his Majesty returned an anfwer, declaring his approbation of the end they fought, but not explicitly promifing his concurrence in the means; upon which the Houfe inftantly came to the refolution, That he fhould be an enemy to his country who should advife his Majefty to profecute an offensive war in America.-Upon exactly fimilar ground the House would now be warranted to move a refolution, That he was an enemy to his country who should advife his Majefty to continue the prefent administration. He fhould not indeed move fuch a refolution. What he fhould move fhould not be an addrefs, but an humble remonftrance, to which no answer was cuftomary. He wifhed for no answer, because nothing was more humiliating in the eyes of all Europe, than to fee the King of England and his parliament at variance. In this state of things, he did not wish to with-hold the fapplies. He wifhed the public bufinefs to go on. He lamented the miferable fituation to which his country was reduced; foreign concerns running to ruin; public credit on the wing; and every untoward appearance tending to forebode fome fatal convullion. Minifters, in knowing this, were bound to come forward with fome new plan for India; and indeed every circumftance of public affairs cries aloud for attention. He then entered into the defence of the friends by whom he had been fupported. Said, it was his pride to find that thofe who had come over to him were men of the moft refpectable characters; while thofe who had left him were men of whofe company and of whofe fociety no man, he believed, was ever very ambitious. He faid fomething of the total impoffibility of uniting. The Rt Hon. Gentleman had proved himself averfe to it; and the world well knew on which fide lay the blame. He concluded with moving the following refolution:

VOL. XLVI.

"Refolved, That an humble repre. 'fentation be prefented to his Majefty, most humbly to teftify the furprise and affliction of this Houfe, on receiving the anfwer which his Majesty's ministers have advifed, to the dutiful and feasonable addrefs of this Houfe, concerning one of the most important acts of his Majesty's government.

To exprefs our concern, that when his Majefty's paternal goodness has gracioully inclined his Majefty to be fenfible of the advantage to be derived from such an adminiftration, as was pointed out in our refolution, his Majefty should still be induced to prefer the opinions of individuals to the repeated advice of the reprefentatives of his people in parlia ment affembled, with refpect to the means of obtaining fo defirable an end.

To reprefent to his Majefty, that a preference of this nature is as injurious to the true interests of the crown, as it is wholly repugnant to the spirit of our free conftitution: That fyftems founded on fuch a preference are not, in truth, entirely new in this country: That they have been the characteristic features of thofe unfortunate reigns, the maxims of which are now juftly and univerfally exploded; while his Majefty and his royal progenitors have been fixed in the hearts of their people, and have commanded the refpect and admiration of all the na tions of the earth, by a constant and uniform attention to the advice of their Commons, however adverfe fuch advice may have been to the opinions of the executive fervants of the crown.

1 To affure his Majefty, that we neither have difputed, nor mean in any inftance to difpute, much lefs to deny, his Majefty's undoubted prerogative of appointing to the executive offices of state, such perfons as to his Majelly's wisdom fhall feem meet; but at the fame time that we muft, with all humility, again fubmit to his Majefty's royal wisdom, that no adminiftration, however legally appointed, can ferve his Majefty and the public with effect, which does not enjoy the confidence of this Houfe: That in his Majesty's prefent adminiftration, we cannot confide: the circumftance under which it was conftituted, and the grounds upon which it continues, have created juft fufpicions in the breafts of his faithful Commons, that principles are adopted, and views entertained, unfriendly to the privileges of this Houfe, and to the freedom of our excellent conftitu

tion: That we have made no charge a gainst any of them, because it is their removal, and not their punishment, which we have defired; and that we humbly conceive, we are warranted by the ancient ufage of this Houfe, to defire fuch removal without making any charge whatever: That confidence may be very prudently with held, where no criminal procefs can be properly inftituted: That although we have made no criminal charge against any individual of his Majefty's minifters, yet with all humility we do conceive, that we have ftated to his Majefty very distinct objections, and very forcible reafons, against their continuance That with regard to the propriety of admitting either the prefent minifters, or any other perfons, as a part of that extended and united adminiftration which his Majefty, in concurrence with the fentiments of this Houfe, confiders as requifite, it is a point upon which we are too well acquainted with the bounds of our duty to presume to offer any advice to his Majefty, well knowing it to be the undoubted prerogative of his Majefty to appoint his minifters, without any previous advice from either Houfe of Parliament; and our duty humbly to offer to his Majesty our advice, when fuch appointments fhall appear to us to be prejudicial to the pu blic fervice.

To acknowledge with gratitude his Majefty's goodnefs, in not confidering the failure of his recent endeavours as a final bar to the accomplishment of the gracious purpose which his Majefty has in view; and to exprefs the great concern and mortification, with which we find ourselves obliged to declare, that the confolation, which we fhould naturally have derived from his Majefty's moft gracious difpofition, is confiderably abated, by understanding that his Majefty's advisers have not thought fit to fuggeft to his Majefty any farther steps to remove the difficulties which obftruct fo defirable an end.

To recal to his Majefty's recollection, that his faithful Commons have already fubmitted to his Majetty moft humbly, but most diftinctly, their opinion upon this fubject, That they can have no interefts but thofe of his Majefty, and of their conftituents; whereas, it is needlefs to fuggeft to his Majefty's wifdom and difcernment, that individual advifers may be actuated by very different motives.

To express our most unfeigned gratis

tude for his Majefty's royal affurances, that he does not call in queftion the right of this Houfe to offer their advice to his Majefty, on every proper occafion, touching the exercife of any branch of his royal prerogative, and of his Majefty's readinefs, at all times, to receive fuch advice, and to give it the most attentive confideration.

To declare, that we recognise in these gracious expreflions thofe excellent and conftitutional sentiments, which we have ever been accuftomed to hear from the throne fince the glorious æra of the Revolution, and which have peculiarly characterised his Majefty and the princes of his illuftrious houfe: But, to lament that these moft gracious expreffions, while they infpire us with additional affection and gratitude towards his Majefty's royal perfon, do not a little contribute to increase our suspicions of those men who have advised his Majesty, in di. rect contradiction to thefe affurances, to neglect the advice of his Commons, and to retain in his service an administration, whofe continuance in office we have fo repeatedly and fo distinctly condemned.

To reprefent to his Majefty, That it has anciently been the practice of this – House, to with-hold fupplies until grievances were redreffed; and that, if we were to follow this courfe in the prefent conjuncture, we should be warranted in our proceeding, as well by the most approved precedents, as by the spirit of the constitution itself: But if, in confideration of the very peculiar exigencies of the times, we should be induced to wave, for the prefent, the exercife in this inftance of our undoubted legal and conftitutional mode of obtaining redrefs, that we humbly implore his Majesty not to impute our forbearance to any want of fincerity in our complaints, or diftrust in the juftice of our caufe.

That we know, and are fure, that the profperity of his Majefty's dominions, in former times, has been, under Divine Providence, owing to the harmony which has, for near a century, prevailed unin terruptedly between the Crown and this Houfe: That we are convinced, that there is no way to extricate this country from its prefent difficulties, but by pur fuing the fame fystem to which we have been indebted, at various periods of our hiftory, for our fucceffes abroad, and which is at all times fo neceffary for our tranquillity at home: That we feel the continuance of the prefent administra

tion