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Debate on taking it into Confideration, Parliament diffolved, 307

254

Debate on the Mutiny Bill, 255 to 267,

278 to 290

Debate on Mr. Fox's third Address to

the King, 268 tó 277

Mr. Eden's Motion for a Committee to /examine the Accounts of the East

India Directors, 290 to 295 Money voted for Chelsea Hofpital, 296 American Intercourfe Bill oppofed by Lord Sheffield, ibid.

Army Extraordinaries, 298

Debate on the expected Diffolution of Parliament, 301

Lift of the Divifion on Mr. Fox's EastIndia Bill, 308

Mr. Fox's Bill for vefting the Affairs of the Eaft-India Company in the Hands of certain Commiffioners, fof the Benefit of the Proprietors and the Public, 316

Mr. Fox's Bill for the better Government of the territorial Poffeffions and Dependencies in India, 323

Mr. Pitt's Bill for the better Government and Management of the Affairs of the Eaft-India Company, 334

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HOUSE of COMMONS,

In the FOURTH and LAST SESSION of the

Fifteenth Parliament of GREAT BRITAIN,

Saturday, January 24, 1784.

S foon as the Speaker had taken the chair, Mr. Powys Mr. Powys.

A informed the Houfe that he intended to put a quef

tion to the Chancellor, as foon as he fhould appear in his place, the answer to which would determine him either to make or fupprefs a motion which he had drawn up relative to the present alarming fituation of affairs.

In order to explain the reafons which induced the Houfe to meet this day, it would be fimply neceffary to state, that after Mr. Pitt's bill had been, rejected laft night, feve ral members, and among thefe, fome of the greateft favourers of the prefent Adminiftration, rofe, and fucceffively put feveral queftions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, relative to the diffolution of Parliament, which feemed to be a fubject of apprehenfion and difcontent to both fides of the House: but the right honourable gentleman refufed, for a long time, to give any answer at all. At laft he gave an anfwer; but it was thought fo obfcure or equivocal by the Houfe, that it became, the general opinion, the diffolution of the Parliament would be announced in that night's Gazette. This was a point which did not folely intereft the mere partizans either of oppofition or Administration: the independent gentlemen on both fides of the House took the VOL. XIII. B

alarm,

Mr, Powys.

alarm, and joined in calling upon Mr. Pitt to give a decifive answer, whether the Parliament was to be diffolved or not. Nothing could conquer the Minifter's refolution to be filent; and therefore, as every one was fatisfied, from the Minifter's filence, that a diffolution was refolved upon, the confternation that took place on this conviction might be more eafily felt than described.

Mr. Sheridan had moved for the attendance (on this day) of fome of the officers belonging to the Signet-Office, in order that fome refolutions might be taken for the better preventing of the iffuing of writs in such a manner as would give fome candidates a preference over others. This motion was agreed to; and the temper of the House feemed to be fuch, that any refolution tending to throw a difficulty in the way of a diffolution, would have been carried by a great majority.

Mr. Fox, however, interpofed, and requested that the House would give the Chancellor of the Exchequer time to recover from the ill humour into which the rejection of his bill might have plunged him; for that reafon he very properly moved the queftion of adjournment, which was carried.

The Houfe met this day at the ufual hour; and, perhaps, fince the beginning of the feffion, there never was a more numerous attendance. As foon as Mr. Pitt had taken his place,

Mr. Powys rofe: his emotion was fuch, that he abfolutely shed tears while he was fpeaking. He faid, that the scene of confufion, to which he had been laft night a witness, had so haunted his mind, that it had never been a moment abfent from it fince. He had been ever fince filled with the melancholy idea of the fatal confequences that might be apprehended from the temper and difpofition which feemed to prevail in the House. He returned his fincere thanks to the right honourable gentleman (Mr. Fox) for having interpofed his influence on the House, to prevent them from proceeding to any resolutions in the temper of mind in which they appeared when they broke up last night. He also returned his fincere thanks to all thofe members who ufed their beft endeavours to keep the House from proceeding to any business at a moment when the members appeared to be too much agitated to debate with temper: he declared that in what he wished at this moment to fay, he was not at all influenced by any previous concert with the right honourable member at the head

of the Treafury: he was proud to boast of his friendship with that right honourable gentleman; but he hoped that the Houfe would believe him, when he affured them he was above duplicity. He was determined to act according to what he should conceive to be for the advantage of the country; but before he fhould proceed, he wifhed to put a queftion to the right honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and by the answer which he should receive he should be determined whether or not he fhould make a motion, which at that moment he had in contemplation. If the right honourable member fhould not give any anfwer at all, he would not conftrue his filence into difrefpect; but he should conftrue it to mean, that he did not think it proper to give an answer to it, left he should engage too far in a business of a very delicate nature; however, in the prefent alarming fituation of affairs, he thought it his duty to put his queftion, and to call for an answer to it: the queftion, therefore, to which he wifhed to have an answer was, Whether that House might expect to be in exiftence, and to meet again, on Monday next. He did not, as the right honourable member might fee, call for an answer that might proclaim to the public the fecrets of the Crown, which, as a Minifter, the right honourable gentleman was bound not to reveal; he wished fimply to know from him, whether on Monday next the House might expect to meet again, in order to proceed to bufinefs. For fome time after Mr. Powys had put this queftion Mr. Pitt remained filent: Mr. Powys then rofe. again, and faid, that he called upon the right honourable member, as a Minister of the Crown, to give him an answer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer said, that he had laid down The Chan to himself a rule, from which he did not think he ought in cellor of the Exchequer, duty to depart, which was, that he ought not to pledge himfelf to the House, that in any poffible fituation of affairs, he would not advise his Majefty to diffolve the Parliament; however, as the honourable gentleman had brought the matter to a very small point, in asking whether the Parliament might expect to meet again on Monday next, he would so far gratify the honourable gentleman as to tell him, that he had no intention to prevent the meeting of the House on that day.

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Mr. Powys faid, that he had put the queftion to the right Mr. Powys, honourable gentleman in fuch a manner, that he expected from him an answer, which might be deemed the answer of the Minifter of that Houfe; for as he had feveral colleagues,

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Mr. Pitt.

The Right Hon. Mr. Eden.

The Chan cellor of the Exchequer.

it was poffible he might be out-voted by them on a question of a diffolution.

Mr. Pitt replied, that he conceived the queftion had been put to him as to the Minister of the Crown, and that as such he had anfwered it.

After which the Houfe adjourned to Monday, the 26th.

January 26.

Mr. Martin took up fome time in clearing the house of Peers, which occafioned a short conversation..

The right honourable Mr. Eden, after a fhort introduc tory fpeech, moved, "That it appears to this House, that his Majefty's most gracious anfwer contains affurances, upon which this, Houfe cannot but moft firmly rely, that his Majefty will not, by the prorogation or diffolution of Parliament, interrupt this House in their confideration of proper measures for regulating the affairs of the Eaft-India Company, and for fupporting the public credit and revenues of this country; objects which, in the opinion of his Majefty, and of this Houfe, and of the public, cannot but be thought to demand the most immediate and unremitting at tention of Parliament."

Mr. Marsham feconded the motion.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe next: he faid, that he no longer felt the objection which he had for fome time paft expreffed, to give an answer to the many questions that had been put to him, relative to the apprehenfion entertained by the Houfe of a diffolution or prorogation of Parliament, For though he held himself perfectly juftified in refufing to give any anfwer to questions put to him by individual members, he held the cafe to be widely different when a queftion was put to him by the Houfe; and therefore, though he had formed to himfelf a refolution not to pledge himself to any Specific declaration relative to a diffolution, when called upon to do it by an individual member, yet, when a question came to him in the fhape of a refolution, and countenanced by the Houfe, he no longer felt an objection to give an anfwer; and he was under no manner of difficulty with refpect to the confequences of the motion, as the answer he should give would be fuch as would fet the minds of gentlemen at eafe. It was allowed on all hands that it was his Majefty's undoubted prerogative to diffolve or prorogue Parliaments; and, as a Minifter of the Crown, he never would advise his Majefty to pledge himself by any promise generally, and without

any

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