lutions, and had told them, that, as fuch, having voted the former refolutions, they were bound to vote that as a matter of course. Thus artfully had the Houfe been kept from examining any one of the various queftions that had been brought forward fingly, but had been infidiously led on from one to another, without knowing whither they were to be led, or at what degree of violence they were to be permitted to ftop. He begged them, however, to confider the present question as it really was, and to afk themselves, if it were at all likely to further the purpose of the motion that had been voted that day. For his part, fo far from its having fuch tendency, he could confider it no otherwife than as an effec tual bar to the union fo much defired by the refpectable and independent gentlemen, who had called for fuch a measure, and had exerted themfelves in fo laudable a manner to bring it about. The honourable gentleman who fpoke laft, had declared his difapprobation of the refolutions on the Journals; and had nevertheless faid, unless the previous queftion was moved, he muft vote for the prefent motion. This was a declaration which Mr. Pitt declared he could by no means reconcile. On the contrary, those who difapproved of the firft refolutions, he thought were in confiftency bound to refift the conclufion, which the prefent tended to establish as the natural confequence arifing from them. Having put this very pointedly, and contended that the former refolutions were not founded in any facts that had been proved, nor in any charge that had been fubftantiated, he urged the bad effects that would refult from voting the motion then under confideration.

The honourable gentleman who fpoke laft, had talked of the fortrefs in which he was fituated, and had declared, that he did not wifh him to march out of it with a halter about his neck-The only fortrefs he knew of or ever defired to have a fhare in defending, was the fortress of the Conftitution. For that he would refift every attack, and every attempt to feduce him out of it that could be made. With what regard to perfonal honour or publie principle could it be expected, that he should confent to march out of it with a halter about his neck, change his armour, and meanly beg to be re-admitted and confidered as a yolunteer in the army of the enemy? To put himfelf into fuch a predicament, and to truft to the foe to loofen and take off from his neck the halter that he was expected to march out with, was a degree of humiliation to which he never would condefcend, and he spoke not merely for him.

felf,

felf, but for much greater men, with whom he acted, and whole fentiments upon the fubject he was perfuaded he delivered distinctly. After fpeaking of this in a ftile of great eloquence, he faid, wifhing as he did, to meet the defires of the refpectable and independent gentlemen by acceding to an union upon principle, he had done every thing in his power to facilitate fuch a measure, That the facrifice of the fentiments of men of honour was no light matter, and when it was confidered, how much was to be given up in order to open a negociation for union, when it was confidered what infulting attacks had been made and what clamours had been excited, he conceived fome regard ought to be paid to his being willing to meet the withes of those refpectable individuals who had called for an union of parties. To accomplish that object was a matter greatly to be defired, and for that, and for that alone, was he ready to encounter the disagreeableness that after what had paffed muft neceffarily be fuppofed to be felt by him in acceding to the propofition. With regard, however, to the refignation of Minifters, he faw no reafon for it- If that House infifted upon their going out, there were two conftitutional means open to them, either by impeachment to proceed against them for their crimes, if they had committed any, or by an immediate address to the Crown to defire their removal. The removal of. Ministers lay with the Crown, and not with that Houfe; in remaining in office, therefore, with a view to keep the country free from anarchy and confufion, and to prevent the government from falling a prey to that Administration which had been removed, and fuffering them to force themselves upon the Sovereign against his will, was neither illegal nor unconfti. tutional. Mr. Pitt enlarged on these ideas, and repeated it, that the present Administration not having refigned, becaufe they had not the support of that Houfe, was by no means contrary to law or the conftitution.

As foon as the Chancellor of the Exchequer fat down the Houfe divided, Ayes, 223, Noes, 204, Majority 19.

February 3.

Mr. Coke (of Norfolk) rofe after the private bufinefs was Mr. Coke. over; he faid he was forry that the motion which he had

the honour to make laft night had not as yet produced any

effect;

effect; the honour and confequence of that House were both concerned, and called upon its members to take care that the refolutions of the Houfe fhould not remain a dead letter. He then moved, that the two refolutions which were paffed last night should be read; which having been done, he moved, "That the faid refolutions be humbly laid before His Majefty by fuch Members of this House as are of His Majefty's most honourable Privy Council."

Mr. Welbore Ellis feconded the motion.

A debate enfued, which, though it lafted till near eleven o'clock, had nothing in it very interefting, and very little novelty. The fpeeches of most of the members who took part in it being in a great measure repetitions of what was faid yesterday. For this reafon we fhall not go much into detail in our account of it. Mr. Pitt and Lord North did not speak at all during the debate, nor did Mr. Fox, except for a minute or two on point of order.

Earl Nugent expreffed his fears that the meafures which gentlemen were now going to adopt, would prevent that union from which fo much good might be expected. The united abilities of all parties would find enough to do to fave this finking nation; and therefore he fhould greatly lament if any hafty step fhould deprive the country of the abilities of any man who might be ferviceable to it. The right honourable gentleman at the head of the Treasury had the most fhining talents; and every one acknowledged the extraordinary abilities of the right honourable gentleman over the way, whom he fincerely wifhed to fee in office: he was good natured, condescending and affable; he was an agreeable and pliant companion, and fo was Julius Cæfar; that great man alfo like the right honourable gentleman, had great connections; but when he went too far they fell off from him and oppofed him- Brutus was the friend of Cæfar; but Cæfar having gone fo far as to make himself the enemy of his country, made Brutus his enemy. The right honourable gentleman was leading the Houfe on from step to step, but where he would ftop no one could fo much as guefs.

Mr. Duncombe faid he difapproved of the motion on account of the form as well as the fubftance of it. It would have been a more manly way to addrefs the Crown at once, than to fend up refolutions to it which feemed to be in their nature mandatory. He then launched out into a

pane

panegyric of Mr. Pitt, in whom he could find no fault; and he could not confent to apply to the King to dismiss a faultlefs Minister.

Lord Delaval declared himfelf a friend to the motion; Lord De he courted not, he said, the fmiles of any man, and he laval, feared the frowns of no man The Conftitution he believed had been in danger, but the fpirit of that House had preferved it. It was folly to expect a Miniftry could ftand when unsupported by the Houfe of Commons; and it was equal folly in any fet of men to expect fupport from that Houfe, who owed their fituations to means the most repugnant to every idea of the Conftitution. There was nothing in the motion which in the smallest degree affected the chracter of the right honourable gentleman over the way; it did not in any degree exclude him from a future arrangement, "Let him, faid his Lordship, but quit the situation that he owes to means which this House condemns, let him then come in at the door fairly and openly in the face of the world, and not by dark paffages and back stairs, and we will receive him with open arms.'

Mr. Wilberforce faid, if gentlemen called to their recol- Mr. Willection the words of his right honourable friend the night berforce, before, they must know that now there was very little if any probability left of a general union. And how, he faid could it be expected, that after fuch violence, men of character could ally themfelves with perfous of whom they did not think well, even though penetrated with the moft fincere feeling that union was néceffary to the deliverance of the country. He did not think with the honourable gentleman who had spoken fome time ago, that the prefent motion was more moderate than an addrefs. In his mind it was lefs fo—it was much stronger than an address, and more unpleasant - It wanted the humility and refpect of an addrefs It was more fullen in its afpect; for it approached the Throne in a way by which the Crown could not answer, and by which they were prevented from hearing what might be the fentiments of his Majesty on the fubject. He had not approved of the conduct of the oppofite fide of the Houfe from the beginning - It had been divided into parts, with an intention fecretly and blindly to commit the Houfe, and to lead them on from meafure to measure, because the leaders were perfectly acquainted that it was only by this means that they could have been brought on fuch ground to their prefent violent procceed

I

ings.

ings. It was averred that Minifters had come into place by unconstitutional means. He wished to enquire into the truth of this affertion. What were the circumstances? A noble person was faid to have given advice to his Sovereign on a bill paffing through the Upper Houfe. This advice he gave without going in the dark, without taking any fecret midnight opportunity of gaining the Royal ear. He had done it publicly, and therefore, in his mind, fairly. There was nothing unconftitutional in this, for it was a matter perfectly understood, that His Majefty had by the Conftitution a number of hereditary counsellors befides the particular perfons who were for the time being his confidential fervants. But it was faid that the Royal word had been made ufe of to influence the votes of the Bedchamber Lords in the Upper House against the Eaft-India bill. If this was true, he confeffed he fhould confider this as an unconftitutional and most scandalous ufe of the Royal name. Minifters had fome right to confider the votes of the Bedchamber Lords as pledged to their measures; but was it exactly the fact that the Eaft-India bill was thrown out by the votes of the Bedchamber Lords? The majority againft it on the contrary was nineteen, and all thofe who voted against that bill were not furely to be charged with yielding obedience to the Royal defire. But what had this to do with the appointment of the prefent Minifters? If the Eaft-India bill had paffed the Houfe of Lords with as great a majority. as it did the Houfe of Commons, ftill he fhould have thanked the Crown for difmiffing the late Minifters. They had in his mind fhewn themfelves unworthy the confidence of the country, and His Majefty had deferved the thanks of his people for difmiffing a fet of Ministers capable of bringing into Parliament fuch a bill.

Lord John Lord John Cavendish was ftrenuous for the motion, Cavendish. thinking it the moft appofite and delicate which the Houfe in its prefent circumftances could poffibly adopt. He replied to the honourable gentleman who spoke before. He denied that the union fo urged by a refpectable body of country gentlemen could be expected to happen precifely as they wished; the differences to be adjufted were many and important. There feemed in the opinion of both parties fomething which they confidered as facred, and not on any confideration to be abandoned. This induced him to mention the coalition, which he did in terms of great approbation, and appealed to the grounds on which it took

place,