from the first reprobated in the most decifive terms. He had not to the prefent moment altered his opinion one tittle on the subject. But furely that part of the House, who had viewed it in the fame light with him, would allow the cafe to be greatly changed for the better, fince, as he understood, the poifon of that bill was to be done away. The ftrongeft exceptions to it with him and many other gentlemen was the vaft patronage it entrusted in hands, which they deemed not fufficiently authorised by the Conftitution. He would beg leave, however, for one, to confider the right honourable author of that measure as folemnly and repeatedly pledged to the Houfe, that the offenfive mode of placing fuch unbounded patronage should be completely removed. He was happy that the measure was to be accommodated by the Houfe, and that the principle of a strong efficient government at home was the whole of what was defired. The coalition was one very. infurmountable obftacle to the union in conten. plation. But had not the noble Lord in the blue ribband cut out the tongue of that monster fo that it could not henceforth bite its mafter? And this was fuch a monfter as the right honourable gentleman would find fome difficulty in fubduing, unless by condefcending to meet the requifitions of the House. The noble Lord, however, had greatly and generously offered not to ftand in the way of any fuch general coalefcence, as the public at this juncture fo importunately demanded; and by that manly action his Lordship had fecured many new without lofing one old friend. He then adverted to the addreffes of the people, on which he thought little ought to be faid But the principle on which fuch of them as were really voluntary originated, he thought was equivocal. That many of the people were alarmed at the India bill, he owned to be a fact But when that bill received a new form, he trufted it would be accompanied with the public confidence. He expreffed great furprise that nothing had yet been heard of in the Houfe. concerning fuch taxes as the exigencies of the Treasury demanded. Were Minifters afraid that doing their duty might shake their popularity? But while he was fpeaking another of His Majefty's fervants might be propofing some financial scheme of that kind in another place. Poffibly the budget might be opening there. He hoped, however, the Houfe of Commons would have fomething to fay on the fubject, and that fome opportunity would be offered them to object.

From

From the most impartial attention which he was able to give to the public, the offices of the executive government appeared to him fubftantially vacated, and all the functions of that operative part in the conftitution for fome weeks. past to have been faft afleep. What had Ministers done? What could they do? He mentioned feveral very preffing circumstances in the affairs of the country, which rendered, in his opinion, their present inactivity highly culpable: and he appealed to the Houfe, and to mankind, whether any man could retain a fituation, with any degree of propriety, which involved in it fo many public and palpable difadvantages. The right honourable gentleman had himfelf acknowledged that his continuance in office could only prevent certain mifchief. How was he to interpret that language? Was this country reduced to the neceffity of fupporting a Minifter who could do nothing, merely because without him nothing was to be 'expected but evil? Did he apprehend, after the country had been told in fo decided a manner, that the India bill would not again be brought in with that which had been before confidered as its fting, that the attempt which had been so generally reprobated could be henceforth renounced? He was one who confidered the real prerogatives of the Crown as no right of the people. The rights of all the separate branches of the Legislature were, as he understood the subject, separate and diftinct; and he would venture to affert, that there was not a wish on his fide of the Houfe to confound them. No monopoly of power was intended; and let those, faid he, who declined a proper participation of it, be responsible in God's name for the confequences which might be the refult of fuch a conduct. He wished the right honourable gentleman would regard this confideration with coolness and temper. He was ready, for his own part, to facrifice every profpect and poffibility of populalarity to his duty, and would willingly become the martyr to his political character. If the standard of unlimited fubmiffion was to be held up in that house against the standard of independence, he knew to which of the two ftandards he belonged. He knew where and how his duty and confcience directed him to act. What had the House heard concerning their willingness to negociate or come to terms, which could produce the leaft confidence in their readiness to act a part which it was obvious the people defired? Perfonal etiquette. Beyond this one fatisfactory idea from the

right

right honourable gentleman had not tranfpired. And what now was the whole difpute? It was reduced in his mind to the mere quibble of two grammarians. The one was willing to act with an equal, the other would bear noné. Should fuch a difgraceful altercation as this continue, he would move leave of the Houfe to bring in a bill for banishing both. The whole point he had in view was to make the fenfe of this House still more completely obvious to the Royal mind, and to exprefs that confidence in Majefty which it became them to indulge. Without therefore troubling the Houfe any longer, he would content himself with moving this fimple propofition-"That this House, impreffed with the most dutiful sense of His Majesty's paternal regard for the welfare of his people, relies on His Majefty's royal wifdom, that he will take fuch measures as may tend to give effect to the wishes of his faithful Commons, which have already been most humbly represented to His Majesty."

Mr. Huffey feconded the motion.

Mr. Eden rofe next: he said, that he did not mean to op- Mr. Eden. pofe a motion, which, as far as it went, he entirely approved. But, in his opinion, it ought to go one step farther; for which reafon he intended to move an amendment; and as he wished, if poffible, to have the fupport of the right honourable gentleman who moved the original queftion, he begged leave to say a few words on the subject. The honourable gentleman had very truly faid that the present Administration had not power to go on with the public business, and that Government had been virtually vacated for many weeks paft: this was undoubtedly true; for during the three or four laft days of the existence of the late Ministry, and for the last nine weeks, the business of the nation had been at a stand. Since the prefent Minister got into power, he had found himself in eight minorities, on queftions, any one of which would have been fufficient to have overturned an Adminiftration in former days; and in one majority, which was on the Receipt tax, on which occafion, however, the Minifter did not think proper to fay one word in favour of the question for which he voted: probably he was so transported with joy at finding himself fupported by fo confiderable a majority, that his joy deprived him of his fpeech,..and it was probably for that reafon that he did not venture to speak for the Receipt tax, though he was pleafed to vote for it. The popularity of

the

the Minifter had often been mentioned; and the various addreffes from different parts of the kingdom were adduced as proofs of the exiftence of it but he was of opinion that it was no easy matter to collect the fenfe of the people from addreffes: it was not thought a very difficult matter to procure them on any fubject. Gentlemen might recol lect the different opinions relative to the addreffes that were prefented on the American war, and the petitions on the fubject of the reduction of the influence of the Crown. In the one cafe, the enemies to the profecution of that war, would not admit the addreffes as proofs of its popularity: in the other, thofe who refifted the petitions contended that they contained the fenfe of thofe only who figned them, and not of the counties or towns at large, from which they were prefented. But if it fhould be contended that the fenfe of the people was to be collected from addreffes, and farther that the people were always thoroughly acquainted with the fubject on which they fent up addreffes, he would state to the House a very curious fact that happened about a century ago:-When King Charles II. towards the clofe of his reign, formed the plan of rendering future Parliaments fubfervient to the will of the Crown, he could not think of a better way than by new modelling the different corporations in the kingdom, in fuch a manner that the Court would always have at its difpofition the magiftrates and electors of the cities and boroughs to this end he formed the defign of getting all the charters into his hands, in order that he might grant new charters, with fuch provifions and such restrictions as fhould answer his purposes. With this view he ordered his Attorney General to proceed by Quo warranto against the different corporations, and to begin with that of London. One might imagine that this produced a convulfion in the nation; but the reverse was the truth: for addreffes were poured into the Court from all quarters, thanking His Majesty for his regard for, and attention to the Conftitution; the Gazettes of 1682 and 1683 were filled with addreffes; and what was not a little remarkable, the very first address that was prefented was from the county of Berks, in which the Court, being then at Windfor, refided, as it does moftly in the prefent reign. If the people were deluded on one occafion, fo far as to thank His Majefty for one of the most unconftitutional acts that could well be devifed, and even to think this act to proceed from a love of the conftitution,

why

why might it not be possible that, in the present day, another popular delufion fhould produce addreffes to thank the Crown for the difmiffion of Minifters, who were acting for the conftitution, and promising to fupport their fucceffors in office, who, on account of the means by which they got into power, ought to be dreaded by every man to whom the prefervation of the conftitution was an object. The continuance of these Ministers in office was certainly attended with unspeakable prejudice to the nation, for all business was completely at a stand: he ventured on a former day to call them nominal Ministers; and the right honourable gentleman, who made the motion then before the House, fupported that opinion, when he faid that the functions of Administration had been vacated for fome weeks: With refpect to the coalition, which had been called a monster, he should be forry it was extinct; he wished the right honourable gentleman, inftead of being able to deftroy it, was under its protection; he advifed him, on a former day, either to refign, or to tell the House that he fet their refolutions at defiance. By either ftep, the country would be a gainer; because if he refigned, a strong government might be formed; and if he avowed that he fet the House of Commons at defiance, the House might poffibly then take fuch fteps as would effect his removal. The withholding a fupply was a privilege which he thought was still in that Houfe, and which might still be exercised for the benefit of the people. To this privilege no man who loved his country would ever refort without the most preffing neceffity; but if such a neceflity should ever occur, no true lover of his country would wish to fee this privilege lie dormant. If the wishes of the House were to be gratified by the Crown, and the conftitution fecured, no man would think of withholding the fupplies: but unless fome fuch motion as that which was now under confideration was paffed, he, for one, would not vote this night for the Ordnance supply. But to come to the point to which this amendment was directed, he reminded the House that two refolutions had been voted by the House, and laid before the King one, that the arduous and critical fituation of affairs required the exertions of an efficient,, extended, and united Administration: the other, that the continuance of the present Ministers in office was an obstacle to the formation of such an Administration: the House therefore ought, in confistency, to look for the removal of the MiVOL. XIII.

Z

nifters,