efpecially against the ambition of its own members. But he was not a little apprehenfive that this enormous power might one day be affumed by the Crown. For where was the independence or freedom of the Houfe, when once a Miniftry was admitted over whom they had no check? This, in his mind, was a ftate of infignificance, beneath which they could not be degraded; and he did trust they would not now fuffer any thing whatever to have this fatal effect on the House and the Conftitution. At the fame time, though he was fincerely of opinion the right honou-. rable gentleman meant nothing unconstitutional in his own favour, his conduct was immediately to put the Crown in the fituation of dictator to that House. It deprived them of that control over every branch of the executive which they were meant by the Constitution to have.

power

The motion now ftated aimed at a broad and extenfive union of parties. The very refpectable gentlemen with whom it originated had this in contemplation when they agreed to put it to a vote of the Houfe. He had ftated what ftruck him as fome of the most apparently infur mountable obftacles which ftill ftood in the way of this defirable event. For his part, he had no objections to the men, but to the mode in which they had come into power. This was the fatal precedent which this House could not get over, and which he, for one, would not by any means, or on any confideration whatever, give way to.

It had been faid by the honourable gentleman who feconded the motion, that neither of the two leaders who divided the Houfe could defend themselves without the other. This statement of the fact he begged leave to difpute. Whatever their relative fituation might now be, while the conftitution had continued uninfringed, a more complete and flattering majority had never accompanied any Administration. He would confequently beg that the relative ftrength of the parties might not be ftated in their prefent unequal fituations. The fair and only just way of comparing them was, by attending to thofe majorities which they commanded in a fimilar fituation; and here the comparison palpably halted. This, however, he did not mention as any hindrance on his part to what was fo much the wish of the Houfe. He never had at any time of his life dealt in general profcription. It had always been a maxim of his, that when the cause of animofity ceased, there fhould be an end of animofity. It was on this great

principle

principle he had coalefced with his noble friend. He held it unmanly and unjust in an extreme degree to infift on profcription without retrofpection; to condemn any man, and yet refufe him a fair trial. Thofe gentlemen were confequently confiftent with themselves, who, while they condemned the coalition, were still for calling his noble friend to an account. This reafoning would fufficiently evince how well prepared he was even for a coalefcence with those, whofe prefent unconftitutional fituation he could not but cenfure. Many who now held offices under the Crown might still hold them in a manner more honourable to themfelves, as well as more beneficial to the public. Among thefe, the right honourable gentleman would always occupy a capital department with every Administration to whom he could attach his talents and exertions.

Here the great hinge of the bufinefs refted. Find fome expedient to annihilate this difficulty, and he doubted not every leffer one would give way. There were, however, feveral of these, which fome gentlemen on both fides might confider as not eafily to be got over. Their notions on India affairs were not identically the fame, and that influence by which they had feifed the reins of government must be understood, with a variety of other collateral points, which could only be difcuffed fubfequent to the refignation of Minifters. Gentlemen must not therefore expect, that in giving way to the union propofed, he could yield thofe things which would either difho our him or the House. He had gone as far on this delicate fubject as he poffibly could go, and he hoped no man would urge him to go farther.

Surely the House could never forget that the present conteft was not against men but Minifters unconftitutionally called into office. It was this fyftematic influence of an undue tendency that he had ever ftruggled againft, and which he would continue to ftruggle againft while he had a feat in that House. He was surprised not a little that the right honourable gentleman, in oppofition to a principle fo plain and conftitutional, fhould continue as he did to bid defiance to that majority in Parliament by which their decifions were regulated, and without which no Minifter had ever prefumed to look the House of Commons in the face, What could be his object? Did he imagine that his own arm would bring falvation to an empire thus reduced by a principle to which the behaviour of the right honourable gentleVOL. XIII. G

man

man was fo ftrong á confirmation? Could any doubt that his noble friend had been still in office but for his refolution to discountenance every appearance of that influence which was fo perfectly unknown to the Conftitution? It was a dark, but powerful, one, fo occult in its operations, and yet fo forcible at the fame time, that no individual could ever be a match for it.

Surely were this pernicious evil ever to be redreffed by an individual, the right honourable gentleman's noble father was equal to the task. He at least had more popularity, more talents, more fuccefs, than any other Minister ever this country had; and he would undoubtedly have done much but for one imperfection, which he had always deemed his greateft. He trufted too much to his own fuperior abilities, which, tranfcendant as they were, that fecret influence which had done fo much mischief ultimately, completely

overcame at laft.

For his part, he was fincerely difpofed to the fanie object. It had ever, and he hoped ever would have, his cordial abhorrence. But he would never go on the quixote errrand or forlorn hope of thinking his fingle exertions equal to a tafk fo enormous. This had determined him to unite with all the forces he could mufter together, and the event proved how proper his precautions had been, and at the fame time how ineffectual. This object, while it continued in full force, rendered all the efforts of the House, after any reformation in the Conftitution, nugatory and abortive : and it mattered not much who were in or who were out, while the fyftem continued fo perfect, unbroken, and connected throughout. It was this baneful fyftem which had proved fo prolific of calamities to this country; and to oppofe fuch a fyftem with effect, the Houfe could not depart from the fpirit it had affumed. Was it poffible, after confidering these things fairly and deliberately, to account for the obftinacy of the Minifter? What motive could prevail with him thus to tantalize the public, and infult that conftitution which conftituted our greateft excellence and glory? By what topics could the fecret advisers of His Majefty blind at once the minds of mafter and fervant? How was it poffible for them to find any thing like reafon in their perfuafions and importunities on a point fo obvious and notorious? Did they prefume to tell the Minifter that he would depart from his dignity by acceding to the wishes

of

of the House? Could he believe that fuch an idea would cor refpond with the fentiments of the honourable gentleman, he fhould not think so highly of him as he did. Where was the condefcenfion in yielding his own judgment to their's, in preferring the collected wifdom of the Houfe to his own understanding? In his mind, this would be paying that deference to Parliament, which, instead of letting him down, would raise him in the opinion of all who had any folid regard for the Conftitution.

Was it then a leffening of Majefty to fuppofe his choice in this inftance to have proved thus abortive? O foolifh advifers of their King! exclaimed Mr. Fox. He whofe only and moft glorious throne is in the hearts of a loyal and grateful people, to be thus at variance with their Representatives, does your advice peculiar credit! Ye would honour him with the fouleft difhonour that ever can happen to a Sovereign! We would make him refpected all over the world; we would make him a bleffing to his fubjects; we would make his reign happy to himself, and happy to all who are interested in his profperity; we would make him the glorious and patriotic Monarch of a wife, contented and pacific nation: but your counfels are the direct oppofite of all this. How do you exhibit him all over Europe? Not as poffeffing the cordiality of his fubjects, or in friendship and amity with this Houfe, but as fquabbling and contending against those on whom he depends, from whom his fupplies originate, and without whom his prerogatives were infignificant and ufelefs. These things were thus ftated, that the conduct of the House might not be mifconftrued and coloured fo as to abuse the public, and give an appearance to their actions contrary to the truth; for it was now as clear and evident as language could make it, that it was not a conteft between parties, or between any defcription of men, but between that House and fome individuals who had thought themselves, from what motives nobody knew, in a condition to defpife its refolutions, its laws, and its cenfures. This was therefore no private, no finifter contention, at least on one fide, but an open one, in which the Minifter and the Conftitution were parties. It could therefore be no question with those who were firm friends of the one, whether they were connected with the other or not. The iffue of confequence must prevail. The Conftitution and Secret Influence were at odds, and the decifion could not be very diftant. He, for one, had exerted himself fince the moment he came into public life; and he would, he trufted, continue his utmost for the utter

Sir Cecil Wray.

The Chan

annihilation of what had ever struck him as the greatest curfe to which this unhappy country was subjected.

The way to power by this strange channel was totally inconfiftent with the liberal genius of that freedom which had ever been the basis and glory of Englishmen. On this system, what was a Minifter in the British Houfe of Commons but a counsel for the Crown, against the intereft and inclination of the people, whofe power in the fcale of the conftitution being thus annihilated, their Representatives were the mereft cyphers, and could only have permiffion to fit in that House while a fhadow of their concurrence was neceffary to the demands of the Crown. They would then find the measure of their infignificance complete; and the conftitution, for which their ancestors fought and bled fo gloriously and profufely, would perish by those very men whom they delegated to be its guardians.

It was, therefore, in his opinion, impoffible to recur too often to the great and only principle at iffue.

He was confequently prepared for the prefent motion, and could foresee the gentlemen on the other fide would oppose it only on the ground of not coming home to their ideas of influence, of not affording them any covert for their prepofterous conduct, of not humouring or conniving with their proftitution of place and power. He protefted, however, that it was not known to him before he came into the Houfe, and that he moft cordially and fincerely adopted it from the fulleft conviction that it came up to all the ideas of gentlemen on the fubject.

He begged pardon for having gone over fuch a large field of multifarious materials: but he trufted the circumftances of the times, and the delicacy of his fituation, as pledged to the House and the public for his conduct, would prove his apology. He ftood justified, at leaft in his own mind, that his poor abilities had thus uniformly been exerted in behalf of the Conftitution and thofe precious liberties which had always been fo dear, and he trufted in God ever would, to the people of this country.

Sir Cecil Wray faid that the petition from Westminster had not been furreptitiously obtained; that notice had been given of the meeting where it was firft proposed; and that it was fent up to the Throne with the fignature of four thoufand electors of that city, many of whom were as refponfible men as any in Westminster.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid that he intended to agree cellor of the with the right honourable gentleman over against him in

Exchequer.