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verfy of fuch a kind. All things confidered, he faid he did not intend to stop the fupplies: that the country was ruined, and completely undone, was moft clear; that public credit could not ftand; that our foreign concerns must run to ruin, he believed every man must now fee ; thofe however were refponfible, who had brought the country into this state of dif traction; for his part, fo far from ftopping the fupplies, he fhould prefs Minifters to bring forward the public bufinefs; he would bring on his own amended India bill; but if it was loft in the other House, Minifters were bound to come forward with some new plan for India: and indeed every part of our public affairs cried aloud for their inftant attention. Mr. Fox then defended Mr. Powys and Mr. Marsham from the charges of inconfiftency; he faid they could not abet Minifters, for whom they profeffed even a predilection, in their resistance to the Houfe of Commons. Some there were who had agreed with him in the outfet of the difpute, but who (as appeared by the decrease of the majorities) had gone over to the fide of Adminiftration.-How to defend the confiftency of fuch men was indeed difficult; and it was fome comfort to find, that on examining the perfons of fuch deferters, it appeared that those who had come over to him were men every way refpectable; while thofe who had left him, on the other hand, (as was naturally to be expected) were men of whose company and of whofe fociety no man, he believed, was ever very ambitious. Mr. Fox faid fomething concerning the total impoffibility of union which now appeared; the right honoura→ ble gentleman had proved himself fo averfe to it, even in the opinion of fome who were his friends, that the world would know on which fide to lay the blame, and who it was that they were to charge with immoderate ambition. He then moved" That an humble reprefentation be prefented to His Majefty, most humbly to teftify the furprize and affliction of this Houfe, on receiving the answer which His Majesty's Minifters have advised to the dutiful and feasonable address of this House, concerning one of the most important acts of His Majefty's government To exprefs our concern, that when His Majefty's paternal goodness has gracioufly inclined His Majefty to be fenfible of the advantage to be derived from fuch an Adminiftration as was pointed out in our refolution, His Majefty fhould still be induced to prefer the opinions of individuals to the repeated advice of the reprefentatives of the people in Parliament affembled, with refpect to the means of obtaining fo defirable an end-To reprefent to His Majesty, that a preference of this nature is as injurious to the true inte

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refts of the Crown, as it is wholly repugnant to the fpirit of our free Constitution, that fyftems founded on fuch a preference are not, in truth, entirely new in this country; that they have been the characteristic features of those 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 nations of the earth, by a conftant and uniform attention to the advice of their Com-* mons, however adverfe fuch advice may have been to the opinions of the executive fervants of the Crown-To affure His. Majefty, that we neither have difputed, nor mean, in any in-. ftance, to difpute, much less to deny, His Majesty's undoubted prerogative of appointing to the executive offices of State fuch perfons as to His Majefty's wifdom fhall feem meet but, at the fame time, that we muft, with all humility, again fubmit to His Majesty's royal wifdom, that no Adminiftration, however legally appointed, can ferve His Majesty and the public with effect which does not enjoy the confidence of this House-that in His Majefty's prefent Adminiftration we cannot confide; the circumftances under which it was conftituted, and the grounds upon which it continues, have created just 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 Conftitution; that we have made no charge against 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 antient ufage of this House, to desire fuch removal without making any charge whatever; that confidence may be very prudently withheld, 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 diftinct objections, and very forcible reafons, against their continuance. That with regard to the propriety of admitting either the present Ministers, 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 prefume 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 hum

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bly to offer to His Majefty our advice, when fuch appointments fhall appear to us to be prejudicial to the public fervice.

To acknowledge, with gratitude, His Majesty'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 Majesty's moft gracious difpofition, is confiderably abated by understanding that His Majefty's advisers have not thought fit to fuggeft to His Majesty any farther steps to remove the difficulties which obftruct fo defirable an end-To recall to His Majefty's recollection, that his faithful Commons have already fubmitted to his Majesty, moft humbly, but most diftinctly, their opinion upon this fubject; that they can have no interefts but thofe of his Majesty and of their conftituents; whereas, it is needlefs to fuggeft to His Majefty's wisdom and difcernment, that individual advisers may be actuated by very different motives-To express our most unfeigned gratitude for His Majesty's royal affurances that he does not call in queftion the right of this Houfe to offer their advice to Hist Majefty on every proper occafion, touching the exercise of any branch of his royal prerogative, and of His Majefty's readiness, at all times, to receive fuch advice, and to give it the moft attentive confideration-To declare that we recognize in thefe gracious expreffions thofe excellant and conftitutional fentiments, which we have ever been accustomed to hear from the Throne fince the glorious æra of the Revolution, and which have peculiarly characterized His Majefty, and the Princes of his illuftrious House; 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 fufpicions of thofe men who have advised His Majefty in direct contradiction to these affurances, to neglect the advice of his Commons, and to retain in his service an Adminiftration, whofe continuance in office we have fo repeatedly and fo diftinctly condemned.-To represent to His Majefty, that it has anciently been the practice of this Houfe to withhold fupplies until grievances were redressed; and that if we were to follow this courfe in the present con juncture, we should be warranted in our proceeding, as well. by the most approved precedents, as by the fpirit of the Confitution itfelf; but if, in confideration of the very peculiar exigencies of the times, we fhould be induced to wave for the prefent the exercife, in this inftance, of our undoubted,

legal,

legal and conftitutional mode of obtaining redress, that we humbly implore His Majefty not to impute our forbearance to any want of fincerity in our complaints or diftruft in the juftice of our caufe. That we know, and are fure, that the prosperity of His Majefty's dominions in former times has been, under Divine Providence, owing to the harmony which has for near a century prevailed uninterruptedly 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 pursuing the fame fyftem to which we have been indebted at various periods of our history for our fucceffes abroad, and which is at all times fo neceffary for our tranquillity at home. That we feel the continuance of the present Administration to be an innovation upon that happy fyftem,

-That we cannot but expect, from their existence under the displeasure of this Houfe, every misfortune naturally incident to a weak and diftracted Government; that if we had concealed from His Majesty our honest sentiments upon this important crifis, we fhould have been in fome degree refponfible for the mifchiefs which are but too certain to enfue.. That we have done our duty to His Majefty and our conftituents in pointing out the evil, and in humbly imploring re drefs: that the blame and refponfibility muft now lie wholly upon those who have prefumed to advise His Majesty to act in contradiction to the uniform maxims which have hitherto governed the conduct of His Majefty, as well as every other Prince of his illuftrious House; upon those who have difregarded the opinions, and neglected the admonitions of the reprefentatives of his people, and who have thereby attempted to fet up a new fyftem of executive Adminiftration, which, wanting the confidence of this House, and acting in defiance to our refolutions, muft prove at once inadequate, by its inefficiency, to the neceffary objects of Government, and dangerous, by its example, to the liberties of the people."

The Earl of Surrey feconded Mr. Fox's motion.

Mr. Dundas faid, it was long ago, that he had made his Mr. Dundas humble attempt to ftop the House in that mad and defperate career, upon which they feemed then determined, and he had been vehemently charged with audacity for the attempt. Perhaps audacity would be again imputed to him, but he was determined again to ftep forth, and humbly to remonstrate to the Houfe on the abfurdity, the utter impropriety, the inutility, and at the fame time on the danger and the mifchief of the prefent motion. The prefent he underflood to be the final confummation of this monftrous fyftem of outrage on the VOL. XIII. NA Conftitution.

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Conftitution. If the right honourable gentleman had been founded in conftitutional principles during his late attempts, if he had built his projects on the old and fure foundations of this Conftitution; thofe tried foundations would not thus have failed him: the Houfe of Commons, he infifted had that force, that fuperiority which would enable it to bear down every other branch of the Legiflature provided only that it was engaged in a found caufe; but not even the Houfe of Commons had power to enforce its own unconftitutional refolutions. The general principles of the right honourable gentleman, in this representation, which he had moved, were what no man living would deny he only lamented that the right honourable gentlemen dared not avow in this his manifefto to the world, (for fuch he confidered it) thofe principles which he and others had dared to avow in the courfe of their fpeeches. Why will he not, for inftance, inftead of faying to His Majefty," that this Houfe has a right to declare their want of confidence in Minifters." Why will he not infert, " that the Houfe claims a right of negativing His Majefty's appointment of Minifters, without giving a fingle reafon?" This indeed might alarm the country; this might not fuit the purpose of his manifefto, which he understood was meant rather as fomething of the healing kind. But why fend it to His Majefty, forbidding at the fame time any anfwer? Why not publish it to the world, after the manner of other manifeftos, with a becoming title?" Whereas, this House is univerfally supposed to have been committing lately the most dangerous and alarming outrages on the Conftitution of thefe realms and whereas thousands of our faithful constituents have taken violent alarm at our proceedings; be it known, therefore to all counties, cities, and boroughs, that, &c."--I fay, Sir, continued Mr. Dundas, this fhould be the preamble of your manifefto; and then counter declarations might be published against it, which would ferve to bring the matter to a fair iffue. Perfons might then be fent through the country with it in the fame manner as I understand they are now fent with pamphlets about fecret influence, and the dignity of this House, and many other fubjects, of such an abftruse and difficult nature, that I confess I fear few country people will comprehend them. Nay, Sir, as I understand, noblemen even, one perfonage in particular, a member of that reprobate House, which the right honourable gentleman has been fpeaking of, is fet out, as I am told, upon his travels, with fuch piles of pamphlets as are reckoned fufficient to open the eyes of all this country. - But in truth, Sir, it is high time to ask ourselves, whether it is this

Houfe,

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