that in every cafe a majority was to prescribe what in such and fuch circumftances it was proper for Miniftry to do. He did not believe there was a power in the House of Commons for the control of the prerogative. He rather thought every branch of the Legislature was inftituted to fecure the legal and constitutional exercise of the other. He hoped, therefore, that it would never be contended, that the Sovereign, in creating Peers, or chusing his Minifters, must first afk leave of the Houfe,

The right honourable gentleman had faid too, that there was now no government in the country; an allegation to which he would give an open and avowed negative. What! were Minifters of no ufe but to attend their duty in Parliament? Were there no official business to tranfact of a public and national description without the walls of the Houfe of Commons? And whether these measures or fchemes which depended on the affiftance and concurrence of Parliament, were or were not fufpended, undoubtedly other matters, however inferior they might be thought, came under their inspection and control.

He wished, however, the right hon. gentleman would Ipeak out. If His Majefty's Minifters were as criminal as he would infinuate, there were only two ways of rendering them amenable to their country, of criminating their conduct, or turning them out of place or power. Why does not the right honourable gentleman come boldly forward and do one or other of thefe? The charge of disturbing the tranquillity of the country, or impeding public bufinefs, he confidered as invidious and groundlefs. This he might retort, but he would not adopt the language of recrimination.

The Throne was ftill as acceffible as ever, and would ftill liften to the voice of reafon and neceffity. But it was as futile as it was improper to be coming down from time to time to the Houfe founding the minds of gentlemen, and exciting them to crowd the ftandard of oppofition to a Miniftry which they had it so much in their power to remove. It would be more manly as well as candid, to come at once to fome fpecific charge, and decide the fate of a Miniftry thus obnoxious and uncomplying.

As for his own part, he regarded all thofe kind of threatenings with great indifference. The right honour able gentleman had undoubtedly exerted his utmost to paint his conduct in the worst light; but ftill he was wil

ling

ling to ftand forth in his own vindication. Nothing could he imputed to him for which he had any reafon to be afhamed. His heart, his principles, his hands were pure. And while he enjoyed the confcious fatisfaction of his own mind, no language of the right honourable gentleman, no clamour, no artifice of party, no unfounded imputations, fhould affect him. He had already stated his conduct fairly and explicitly to the House. He trufted it was not neceffary to repeat the fame things over again. By these reasons he wished to abide, and he trusted the House would not diffent from him in prefuming that the motives which he affigned for whatever might feem peculiar in his fituation, were not frivolous, but fatisfying.

Lord North ftated, that the right honourable gentleman's Ld. North, infinuations put words in Mr. Fox's mouth which he had not heard. His right honourable friend had only stated, that the reign of the right honourable gentleman would not meet the wishes of a majority in that House, and was most undoubtedly hoftile to the inclination of the public in general. In afferting that there was no government, Mr. Fox never pretended to deny that there was a Lord of the Treasury, a Lord of the Admiralty; these were facts which all the world knew, and many regretted. But he meant to affert, that the conftitutional object of those feveral inftitutions was annihilated. A Government indeed there was, but it had no check, it wanted energy.-It had neither confidence nor regarded the control of Parliament - It was without credit and without refponsibility Its very exiftence depended on a violation of the privileges which dif tinguished the Houfe of Commons. A majority of that Houfe had already decided its fate and fealed its perdition,

He controverted the statement by Mr. Pitt of what belonged to a legal Government, and faid, that the prefent had few or none of those attributes, which according to the conftitution of a free country constituted a legal autho rity. He was aftonished that the Minister would not retire without every degree of exertion which the House could put in action for that purpofe. A change was demanded and an addrefs urged Before Parliament either adopted the one or the other, it was fit that the world fhould be apprized who called for an addrefs, who challenged a charge, who rendered both neceffary. But was the right honourable gentleman prepared to justify this ftrong and indifpen fable exertion, to his country, his own mind, or that House?

What

What could he plead for himfelf against such an accufation? Did it originate with him or those who made it? Was the form of the Conftitution to be preferved or cherifhed at the expence of its fpirit? An addrefs must be attended with that effect which it was meant to produce. But was it not proper to take every precaution in the power of the Houfe to avoid it? The language of such a measure could never be conciliating; and furely our differences were already wide enough. No new exceptions were neceffary to augment or create antipathies.

He therefore much approved of his right honourable friend's motion for adjournment. He was certain of his proceeding in every thing with manlinefs and decency. He knew his fenfibilities to be ftrong; but these were under the control of a found mind and an incorruptible heart.

Earl Nugent Earl Nugent faid, that he for one did not believe that a majority of that Houfe were ready to fubfcribe to the adminiftration of a Dictator, and to receive again into the public fervice the author of the Eaft-India bill. To the right honourable gentleman, perfonally, he had no objection; he thought his talents were of a commanding and fuperior nature; that his genius was profound and inexhauftible; his mind firm and adventurous. He would go farther; he was ready to fay, that in fuch a moment as the prefent, the country ftood in need of fuch a Minister. We could not go on in the beaten path; we could not be faved by the common quality of measures; we wanted the activity of fuch a man as the right honourable gentleman; but he wished to fee him only making the part of an Administration, not monopolizing the power. His aid, his affiftance, would give vigour and energy to any system; but the conftitution of this country would not admit that the fole and dictatorial power fhould be vefted in one man. It was therefore his opinion that the majority of that House were not prepared to fee the right honourable gentleman rife in his air balloon, and elevate himself over the conftitutional heads of the State. A great deal of clamour had been fet up against fecret advisers, and the fecret influence of the Crown: he did not believe that those who excited the clamour, believed that there was any fuch thing as the dangerous influence of fecret advice. It had been the inceffant clamour of the prefent reign; it began when the Earl of Bute left his office- then it was, that the idea

of

of fecret advisers was firft ftarted, and of a dark influence behind the Throne. Indeed in the adminiftration of Sir Robert Walpole, it was the cry of Parliament that there was an influence; that Royal favour run all in one direction, by one fet of men poffeffing the ear of the Crown; but with men of fenfe all this clamour availed nothing; it was perfectly understood; and men knew that it was the mere expedient of party.

It was now afferted with a very high tone, that a noble Earl had no right to go into the closet of the King tỏ give His Majefty advice, although that noble Earl was by his rank and fortune fet in fo diftinguifhed a place in the country, and though he was fo deeply involved in its interests. It was the clear and indifputable right of every citizen to give advice to His Majefty when he was called upon to do fo; and he must be allowed to say, that the noble Earl, by his high rank and fortune, was much better intitled to give advice to the Crown than those who poffeffed not the fame pretenfions, and who at least had not the fame reasons for exerting themselves in the deliverance of their country. God forbid, he faid, that he fhould prefume to fearch into the hearts and motives of men. He wished to speak of them only from appearances; and on this ground, he said, that judging between the noble Earl who had been arraigned for giving advice to His Majefty, and those who arraigned him, appearances were in favour of the noble Earl; appearances were in favour of him who had a great ftake in the country, rather than of those who had much to hope for and little to lofe. When he spoke in this manner he muft not be understood to infer, that the right honourable gentleman oppofite to him was not connected with men of large property and of great influence in the country; he certainly was fo; and no man in this kingdom was, he believed, fo powerfully and fo generally fupported; at the fame time it would not be too much for him to say, that it might be convenient for the right honourable gentleman, as well as for many of his friends, to come into office again. He vowed to God that he was not his enemy. He vowed to God at the same time that he was not connected with the right honourable gentleman who was now at the head of the Treasury. He was connected with no man, nor fet of men; nor did he think either the two right honourable gentlemen, or any two men in the kingdom, of fufficient importance, as that the peace, the order, the practice of the Conftitution, should be facrificed to them; he vowed to God he did not. In regard

to

Mr. Fox.

to the friendships of the one party and the other, he flood aloof from all; he had long witneffed the turbulence of party, and he had determined to keep himself for the future perfectly detached from men, and attached only to measures. He spoke of the late refolution of the House against the prefent Ministry, as a measure not warranted nor wife. It was unjuftifiable in every point of view, and he trufted it would be foon refcinded. He trufted the House would fee that they had come to that resolution haftily, rafhly, and without foundation. He, perhaps, would himfelf move, that it fhould be refcinded, were it not that his health prevented him from that regular discharge of his duty, which he was ufed to do. He trufted, however, it would be refcinded, for he did not fcruple to say it was difgraceful to the House. [The other fide called out to him to move.] He said he was not Irishman enough to put the cart before the horse. The present motion must be discharged; but he trusted and hoped that it would be expunged from their journals.

Mr. Fox begged leave to remark on a few affertions which had fallen froin the noble Lord. The noble Lord had complained that he had employed improper influence in affairs of State, and had affirmed, that he had not a better right to tender his advice to Majesty on the great political concerns of the country, than a noble Earl of diftinguished rank, and of confiderable fortune. These affertions were false; and when the Houfe called the noble Lord to order on his expreffing them, it acted in every refpect agreeable to its own forms and its own dignity. Did the noble Lord recollect, that at the period when the advice to which he had alluded was given by the noble Earl, when that fecret influence had been employed which had interefted the attention and drawn down the indignation of the House, he was acting as the responsible Minister of the Crown, the authorised adviser of Majefty, and as fuch, had he not an official title fuperior to the noble Earl, or to any other perfon, to advise His Majesty on the great national concerns of this realm? He was confident that there was no person who attended to these circumstances but would admit their truth, and allow that the conduct of the noble Earl to whom reference had been made, was an encroachment on the privileges, and a direct invafion of the rights of Minifters. The noble Lord had refted much on the extenfive fortune of the noble Earl who had employed his influence with Majefty. He had spoken of this circum. ftance as conveying a fuperior title to that of any other per fon, not comprehended within the fame defcription, to coun

fel