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Lord Beau.

champ.

February 25.

Lord Beauchamp rose, and said, that at the prefent crifis it would be neceffary, that the proceedings of that House fhould be confidered with peculiar deliberation and temper, His Majefty's anfwer, when known, whether it was graciously confiftent with the wishes of the House expreffed in the Addrefs, or otherwife, would require confideration, He therefore fhould, confiftent with a recent precedent, move, "That the House at its rifing do adjourn to Friday next."

Mr. Sheridan feconded the motion. Mr. Vyner and Mr. Strachey faid each a few words; after which, the question being put, was carried unanimously. They then went up to St. James's with the Addrefs.

February 27.

The Speaker read from the Chair His Majefty's most gracious Anfwer to the Addrefs of the Houfe, which was as follows:

"Gentlemen,

"I am deeply fenfible how highly it concerns the honour of my Crown, and the welfare of my people, which is the object always nearest my heart, that the public affairs fhould be conducted by a firm, efficient, extended, united Administration, entitled to the confidence of the people, and fuch as may have a tendency to put an end to the unfortunate divifions and distractions of the country. Very recent endeavours have been employed, on my part, to unite in the public fervice, on a fair and equal footing, thofe whofe joint efforts appear to me moft capable of producing that happy effect: those endeavours have not had the effect I wished. I fhall be always defirous of taking every step moft conducive to fuch an object; but I cannot fee that it would in any degree be advanced by the dif miffion of thofe at prefent in my fervice,

"I obferve, at the fame time, that there is no charge or complaint fuggefted against my prefent Minifters, nor is any one or more of them fpecifically objected to; and numbers of my subjects have expreffed to me in the warmeft manner their fatisfaction of the late changes I have made in my Councils. Under thefe circumstances I truft

my

my

faithful Commons will not wish that the effential offices of executive government shall be vacated, until I fee a profpect that fuch a plan of union as I have called for, and they pointed out, may be carried into effect."

Lord Beauchamp rofe: he observed that fome gentlemen Lord Beauhad censured him for the motion made by him on Wednesday champ. laft, for the adjournment to this day; but after having maturely reflected on his conduct on that occafion, he found nothing within him that told him it was cenfurable. From a kind of prescience he had had of the fpecies of answer that would be given to the Address, he thought it would not have been proper to fuffer gentlemen to proceed to business on Wednesday, after their return from St. James's, because they might poffibly be too much heated at finding that the request of the House of Commons had met with a refufal on the part of His Majesty. He thought that it would be much more proper that an adjournment fhould take place, which should afford them time to grow cool, and recover their temper, before they proceeded to take the Answer into confideration. But this was not his only reafon: from rumour he had learnt, that some kind of overtures had been made for a negociation that might lead to that union which all parties fo anxiously wifhed for; and he was defirous to prevent any difcuffion in the House, that might have a tendency to interrupt a negociation, upon which the falvation of the country depended: what was the fuccefs of the overtures he knew not; but he was of opinion, that he was ferving his country, while he was endeavouring to fupprefs every thing that fhould have a tendency to defeat the wishes of the Houfe, and the efforts of two moft respectable and worthy gentlemen (Mr. Powys and Mr. Marfham) who had moft laudably employed themfelves in endeavouring to effect that union which the House had declared to be abfolutely neceffary. With these views, he held himself juftified in what he had done. The particular object he had in rifing at prefent, was to move, that the confideration of His Majefty's anfwer fhould be put off till Monday. He thought that gentlemen ought to have time to turn it in their minds, before they should give any opinion upon it. When he fhould attempt to deliver his opinion, he would follow the established and wife parliamentary cuftom of treating the King's anfwer as the answer of the Mi nifter, who advised him to give it: whatever was gracious in it, if any thing gracious could be difcovered in it, he would of course attribute folely to His Majefty; but what, Ever was ungracious in it, he would afcribe to his Minifters:

with

Mr. Fox.

Sir Robert Smyth.

The Chan

with this parliamentary diftinction, he should be able to treat with freedom an answer, the only one of the kind that had ever been given by a Prince of the House of Brunfwick to a Houfe of Commons. He faid that he intended, if his motion for taking the King's answer into confideration on Monday next should be carried, to follow it with another, "That the House do now adjourn," because he thought that when Minifters advised the Crown to stick fo closely to preroga tive, the House would betray the rights and privileges of the people, if they did not take measures to defend those privileges, and to enter upon that, in preference to every other bufinefs. His Lordfhip concluded by moving, that His Majefty's anfwer be taken into confideration on Monday

next.

Mr. Fox feconded the motion pro formâ.

Sir Robert Smyth oppofed the motion. He faid, that to adjourn now, would be to neglect the business of the nation, by putting off the confideration of the supply, and particularly of that part of it, which was to be voted for the navy, the estimates for which were this day to come before the House. The people would have reafon to conftrue these different adjournments and delays, as amounting to a refusal of the fupply.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid, that the noble Lord cellor of the had made one motion for adjourning the confideration of the Exchequer. King's anfwer, and had mentioned another which he intended to make, for adjourning the Houfe: they were to be confidered as two very diftinct queftions; to the former he had no objection; he was ready at this moment to difcufs it; he certainly was refponfible for it, for he had advised it; but if the Houfe wifhed not to take it into confideration before Monday, he was fatisfied, and would give no oppofition to the motion; but he certainly would oppose the adjournment of the Houfe, and to that question he intended to fpeak, when the former fhould have been difpofed of.

Sir Adam

Sir Adam Ferguson condemned the adjournment of Wed, Ferguson. nefday laft: he faid, it was rather a curious circumftance, that gentlemen fhould have been allowed time from Wednefday to this day, to confider of an answer, which they did not hear till within a few minutes, when the Speaker read it from the chair.

Sir Wm.
Dolben.

Sir William Dolben alfo condemned the adjourment; it was fhameful, he faid, thus to delay the public business, while fome gentlemen were difputing about punctilios of honour, which they were endeavouring to conceal under an affected

egard

regard for the honour of the Houfe. His Majefty's answer was every thing that his fubjects could wifh, and therefore there was no ground for faying that it was ungracious. The Houfe had already advanced pretty far into the feffion, and the public bufinefs of the country had not yet been brought on. He wifhed, therefore, that thefe independent and refpectable country gentlemen, who had never attached themfelves to any party, would unite, in order to put an end to the divifions of the Houfe, which had hitherto kept back the business of the nation.

Mr. Huffy faid, he confidered himfelf one of thofe inde- Mr. Huffey. pendent country gentlemen, who had never attached themfelves to any party, and wished as much as any for that union which the two very refpectable members had been labouring to effect, and which he hoped they did not yet defpair of. He entreated thein to perfevere in their patriotic undertaking; for they might be at least able to prevent those confequences, the very idea of which might well make an honeft man's blood run cold. He faid, he was not in the House when the motion was made by the noble Lord on Wednesday laft, to adjourn to this day; but as foon as he heard what kind of an answer had been given to the addrefs, he felt the propriety of the adjournment, for which the noble Lord had his hearty thanks.

Mr. Fox obferved, that with refpect to the answer, he Mr. Fox would reserve himself for the day on which that matter fhould be regularly before the Houfe: he would not compare it to any anfwer fince the Revolution; for he believed fuch an answer, fince that period, could not be found in the Journals. An honourable Baronet had faid, that fome perfons endeavoured to conceal punctilios of honour under the affectation of a regard for the honour of the House: this was a very fingular way of fpeaking; for when men were actuated by punctilios of honour, they never could be ashamed to avow them; and confequently could have no reason to have recourse to any other covering to conceal, what it were ho nourable to avow. But it was not very uncommon for some perfons to conceal, under an affectation of punctilio of perfonal honour, what it would be difgraceful to them to mention under its own name. That the bufinefs of the nation had been long delayed, he was ready to admit; and he believed it did not require much penetration to discover with whom the blame refted.

Mr. Vyner faid, that he did not second the motion for the Mr. Vyneza adjournment on Wednesday, but he approved and supported

2

it;

Mr. Drake.

Lord Mul

cafter.

Lord Beau

champ.

Lord Mulcafter.

Sir William
Dolben.

Lord Beau

it for though there were not many members in the House at first, yet a little before its rifing, there were 150; and as he understood that no more intended to come down that day, he thought that too small a number to proceed upon bufinefs of importance after the Speaker fhould have returned from St. James's.

Mr. Drake declared, that he would uniformly oppofe every attempt to delay the public bufinefs of the nation.

Lord Mulcafter did not hesitate to fay, that the adjournment on Wednesday was as pitiful, as low, and as indecent a party trick, as ever he had been a witness to.

:

Lord Beauchamp expreffed his furprise at these harsh and fevere epithets used by the noble Lord. If he applied them to the measure itself, the cenfure fell upon the House, who adopted it if it was at him perfonally that thefe expreffions were levelled, he was ftill more furprifed, as not having the leaft perfonal acquaintance with the noble Lord; and confequently not having had any opportunity to provoke fuch an attack.

Lord Mulcafter faid he spoke not of the measure as adopted by the House, but as a pitiful trick into which the House was trepanned. That he could mean nothing perfonally difrefpectful to the noble Lord, appeared very clearly from the reason ftated by the noble Lord himself-that he had not the leaft perfonal acquaintance with him.

Sir William Dolben stated, that a very particular reason why the House ought not to have adjourned over Thursday, was, that on that day a question was to have been brought on, affecting the feat of a noble Lord in that House (Lord George Lenox) and confequently the rights and privileges of the freeholders of the county of Suffex; and this being a question of privilege, ought to be brought forward without the leaft delay. The question was at length called for, and carried without a divifion.

Lord Beauchamp then moved, champ. adjourn to Monday next."

The Chan

"That this House do now

The Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe to oppofe this motion. cellor of the But he said he wifhed not to provoke a debate; for a long Exchequer, debate would, with refpect to other business, operate as an

adjournment; by taking up the attention of the House fo long, that it would be too late to bring on any other business, though the question fhould at length be carried against an adjournment. He therefore wifhed that the fense of the House might be taken early. Against the motion, he said, he believed it was contrary to the ufage of Parliament to

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