ment.

The oppofition concluded, with representing it as a matter of the greatest impropriety and indecency, to bring in fuch a demand, in fuch a feafon of public calamity and danger. They faid, that nothing but a confidence in the fervility, and an experience in the carelessnefs of the public interefts, which were now prevalent, could have encouraged the minifters to hazard fo defperate a measure. They have, faid they, plunged us in a fatal civil war, which has already coft the nation twenty millions of money; they have fevered the empire, deftroyed our commerce, funk the revenue, and given a mortal blow to public credit. We have loft thirteen flourishing and growing provinces, fome of which were already, in point of importance, if not of power, nearly equal to ancient kingdoms, and we are now engaged in a deftructive and hopele's attempt to recover by force what our folly and violence have lot. Is this then a feafon, when we shall be under a neceffity of taxing every gentleman's houfe in England, even to the smallest domeftic accommodation, and to accumulate burden upon burden, on a people already fiaking under

their load, to come and tell us that we had not hitherto made a provision for the crown adequate to its grandeur, and that we must now find new funds for the increase of its fplendor? Is the real luftre which it has unhappily loft, to be fupplied by the falle glare of profufion? and the oftenuve expences of government, to encreafe in a due proportion to its poverty and weakness? It will be a new difcovery in the policy of nations, that the only means of replacing the lofs of half an empire, is by the boundlefs prodigality of the remainder.

As to the afperfions thrown by minifters on the minority, and their motives to oppofition, they faid, that they had only to appeal to heaven and their own confeiences for the purity of their intentions; but they could appeal to the prefent ftate of things for the foundness of their judgment concerning the conduct of public affairs. That if they attributed the majorities in parliament to the influence of the crown, they only deduced effects from their natural and obvious caufes. What other caufe, faid they, can be affigned for the fupport of minifters, whether the prefent plan of politicks be wrong or right? If wrong, they ought not to be fupported, who advifed an improper scheme of policy; if right, they ought not to be fupported, who fhew themselves wholly unable to conduct meatures right in themselves, and neceffary for the nation. That it was not true, that the minifters were fupported by the landed intereft. The greater part of the country reprefentatives were in oppofition to their American fchemes; and

perhaps the weight of the property, not connected with places and emoluments in the gift of the crown, in the House of Peers, would be found in the fame scale. But whatever the character and motives of the majority or minority were, it was evident beyond a doubt, that under the fupport of the former, the national dignity, power, and dominion, were reduced, and the royal fplendour tarnished, whilft every expence was infinitely increased. It is, faid they, from fuch undoubted matters of fact, and not from declamations or invectives, that the publick will, or ought, to judge of the motives of thofe who fupport or oppofe the prefent lyftem. Upon receiving the April 18. report in the Houfe of Commons from the committee of fupply, the debate was renewed with great warmth, and a committee of enquiry was again propoled, and ably fupported. The queftion upon the first resolution of the committee, for the payment of the ftanding debt, of 618,340 1. was carried without a divilion. Upon reading the fecond refolution for the additional grant of 100,000l. a year to the royal revenue, an amendment was moved by a gentleman in oppofition, that the words in the refolution for the better fupport of his Majefty's houfhold." thould be immediately followed by thefe," and for the different branches of the royal family."

country, experiencing all the effects of actual banishment; and instead of commanding that refpect and attention due to his rank and virtues, exhibiting to the world the idea of a diftreffed and fugitive prince of England, and exciting only the compaffion of foreigners. The fecond, after experiencing the fame difagreeable fituation abroad, reduced to live within the limits of an economy, which however becoming his neceffity, and fuited to his income, is equally unworthy of his merit, and unfitting for the rank which he holds in this country.

The amendment was feconded, but it being reprefented, that any amendment made to a report was out of rule, and unparliamentary, no debate enfued, and it was agreed to refer the subject to future confideration. The question upon the fecond refolution of the committee, being put about midnight, was carried by a majority of 231, to 109. Though the numbers were fewer on both fides, 19 gentlemen voted against the prefent queftion, who were not included in the former division.

The royal meffage to the House of Lords was debated on the 16th of April, when an addrefs of concurrence having been moved by the Earl of Derby, and feconded by Lord Onflow, was oppofed by the Marquis of Rockingham, who moved for an amendment of very confiderable length, being an addrefs directly counter to that propofed, and which was afterwards entered without addition as a proteft. The noble Marquis entered very diffufely, and with great knowledge of his ground, into the fubject, and stated feveral of

thole

thole arguments and facts which we have already laid down. He was oppofed and fupported with great eagerness, and the debates were Jong, various, and very interefting. In the course of this contention, the Duke of Grafton faid, that his regard to the noble Marquis fhould prevent his moving the previous question, upon both the addrefs and the amendment; but he conjured their lordships, as the best proof of their loyalty and affection for his Majefty, that they would confent to have the original motion poftponed, and egree to appoint a committee to enquire into the expenditure; but more particularly to enquire what parts would best admit of a reduction; and when that was finally fettled, proceed to a vote of concurrence, for the amount of the reduced eftimates.

if they agreed to this propofal, he offered to prove to their fatisfaction, that the estimate fo eftablished, would not exceed the prefent revenue; and that at the fame time, it should nor bear upon a fingle article, which fhould be thought by thofe who profeffed themselves to be his warmest friends, to adminifter to his Majefty's ease or fatisfaction; or that was neceffary to fuftain with fplendor and dignity, his elevated rank and fituation. The noble Duke finally, pledged himfelf to the houfe, that if they would go into the propofed committee, he would demonftrate from the most clear, authentic, and inconteftible documents, that 800,000l. a year would anfwer every end of private cafe, perfonal dignity, and royal fplendour; in a word, would furnish

every appendage to royalty, excepting that only which minifters mistakenly thought neceflary, that of obtaining, through the means of corrupt influence, an unbounded power and controul over the will and refolutions of parliament.

The question being at length. put upon the motion of amendment, it was rejected by a majority of 96 to 20 only. A fecond divifion took place upon the Duke of Grafton's previous queftion, which was also rejected by a majority of 90 to 26. The main question on the addrefs was then put, and carried on a divifion.

The rejected amendment, which was entered as a proteft, infers the neceflity of the utmoft ceconomy, from the increase of public debt, and the decrease of the empire; and expreffes aftonifhment and indignation, at a profusion in minifters, which the greatest profperity could fcarcely excufe.

After ftating and exa, mining various matters, it concludes in the following terms, and was figned by fourteen Lords.

"With regard to the further increase of your Majefty's civil lift revenues, we must decline any concurrence therein, not folely from motives of economy, (tho' at no time more strictly requir ed) but from a dread alfo of the effect of fuch an augmentation on the honour and integrity of parliament, by vefting fuch large fums without account in the hands of ministers. When an opinion is known to prevail, and which we have no means of contradicting, that your Majesty's civil lift revenues are employed [F] 4

in

cast off and rejected, and all for the fame individual caufe, that they were in the whole, and in every part, totally unfounded and 1 unjust. And they infifted, that it was a thing unheard of, when any claim or account had been once fettled and liquidated, more especially under the legal formality and fanction of a particular and public commiffion, to bring fuch a matter again forward, unless it was fupported by fome new documents or proofs, which the claimant muft allo demonftrate, not to have been originally within his reach or power..

The minifters were charged, in unqualified terms, with a fhameful profufion of the public money, and with the moft fcandalous meannefs, in fubmitting in every inftance to the infatiate rapacity of the German princes. Nor did parliament efcape its fhare of the cenfure, for, what was termed, their tame acquiefcence in every propofal, however anreasonable or abfurd, that was laid before them, and their granting the property of the people to fupply every demand, however unneceffary, extravagant, or unjuft. This demand, they faid, could be confidered in no other light than that of a foreign tribate, exacted from us in the moment of our diftrefs, through a full conviction of our distracted fituation, and the unhappy ftate of our public affairs. The na tion was to fubmit to every fhameful impofition, propofed, or practifed upon it by the petty ftates of Germany, left they should withdraw their mercenaries from the fupport of our fatal ministerial çivil war, before they had put the

laft hand to the ruin or extermination of the British nation on both fides of the Atlantic.

They alfo arraigned the minifter for furprizing the house with fuch a demand, and bringing in a matter of fuch confequence at a feafon, when he knew that it was, and muft be, very thinly attended. They contended, that if this demand, after fleeping for fourteen years, was now admitted, it would rouze all Germany into action, in the framing of new, or the reviving of old claims; and that they should never get quit of the German chancery, whilft they had a fhilling left to grant. They concluded by lamenting and execrating those fatal meafures, to which they attributed cur prefent unhappy fituation, and all thofe humiliating and difgraceful circumftances in which they faid they faid we were involved.

On the other hand, the minifter acknowledged the ftaleness of the claim; he wished the demand had been made earlier; but he urged the length of its ftanding to be the only objection that could be reafonably made to it. He infifted that the account was clearly and fairly flated; that the demand was just; that it confequently ought to be paid; and that length of time did not weaken the claim in point of juice or equity. good faith, the credit, the juftice, and honour of the nation, were all faid to be deeply concerned in the exact obfervance of its contracts with foreigners, and the punctual discharge of its foreign debts. Any failure in thefe refpects must be productive of the