of the most pernicious confequences. The very report of. the Committee under confideration, demanded an immediate and an effectual attention. If two millions of money could be faved to the revenue, it became a question how it had not been faved, and the confequences of having loft it? The modes by which frauds to fuch a large amount had been practifed were various, and must have operated on the public to a great extent, and with fome degree of advantage. Wherever, and on whoever this money may be recovered, a burden new and extraordinary muft unavoidably be laid. The reform meditated muft affect certain parts of the country. However neceflary that reform might be, these parts can hardly be fuppofed to acquiefce in it cordially. How then could it be effected? How could the regulations it implied, how could the measures on which its efficacy and fuccefs depended, be executed without a Government acting with the confent and fanction of that House as well as the Crown? He trufted gentlemen would attend to thefe circumftances; the credit of the country called for every species of fupport which could be given it. This would inevitably occafion taxes to a very unprecedented extent. He, for one, faw no other prospect of relief than by fuch impofitions as would infallibly produce it. What Administration, deftitute of the confidence and fupport of Parliament could effect fuch an octjec? The unpopularity attending fuch measures as could no longer be withheld in confiftency with public fafety, would destroy the most able, active, and induftrious Ministry this country ever faw, without a very great majority of this Houfe at its back. Thefe particulars, and a great variety of others, he ftated with no other view in the world than to urge the neceffity of an immediate union of parties.. He, for his part, faw no perfonal objection on either fide, and he trufted the right honourable gentleman faw none. The House seemed fo generally interested, and in fome measure agreed in the idea of a coalition, that he thought them entitled to as full an explanation on that head as he was able to give them. He paid many compliments to the right honourable gentleman's abilities He réfpected what he had always understood to be his political principlesNone of these did any one whom he had confulted wish him to renounce. The union he wifhed to fee take place was an union of principle, and he should not be the more fure of any man's principles from his readiness to appear

implicit

implicit in the adoption of his. There could in his apprehenfion be no perfonal contention between the right honourable gentleman and himself. Whatever might have occurred in the heat of debate, he trufted they were both alike sensible, meant nothing perfonally disrespectful on either fide. It was obvious the right honourable gentleman was not flavishly attached to the emoluments of office; he never thought he was, and he rejoiced that a late inftance had fo fully evinced that he was not. He trusted the House would alfo give him fome credit on that score. No action, at least of his life, could be brought up which in the least would faften any very interested charge against him. So far their difpofitions were not diffimilar. What was the right honourable gentleman's ambition? Was it not glory? A reputation grafted on the advantage which he trufted the country might one day reap from his exertions in her service. A nobler, a more magnanimous paffion he would fay never fired the human breaft; and whoever was not animated by such a principle, did not, in his opinion, deserve any fhare in the public confidence; was no proper object of popular approbation; was not an eligible candidate for Englishmen's attention and applause, Here alfo he was not without hopes he would be permit ted to put in his claim for fome degree of confidence on the fame principle. He protefted that every other confideration was in his opinion trivial and of no weight; that no facrifice was too great to be offered at such a shrine; and that he would go any lengths with any man who would shake hands with him in this truly glorious, truly patriotic, and truly constitutional ground; and he was ready to own, that the right honourable gentleman had alwys appeared to him as aiming at the fame great and defirable object. As on this fubject, however, he wished to conceal nothing, he would fay the only fufpicion he entertained, and which had originated in the mode by which the right honourable gentleman obtained and kept poffeffion of power, was, that he entertained an opinion that the Crown might appoint a Miniftry, and perfift in fupporting them, who had not the confidence of the Houfe. He wifhed he might find the fufpicion ill founded, but he dreaded to find it true; for then an union on fuch a principle was impoffible. went to deprive this country of an executive government, in which the people had any concern, over which they could exercise

It

exercise any control. All the inftances of voting money was on a principle of confidence. The Minister's influence in the Houfe depended on what confidence they had in him; he was their trustee; to them he was responsible for every article of public expenditure. The very estimates to be confidered this night were inftances of the fame principle in the Conftitution; and every fum of money voted for the Ordnance, was voted by gentlemen incapable of judging for themselves whether thefe fums were properly applied or not; but in confidence that Lord Townshend, the Duke of Richmond, or any other whofe province it was to direct the business of that very important department, were competent to pronounce on the fitnefs of the objects for which this money would be applied. He did not well apprehend where the difference between the right honourable gentleman and him, in refpect to measures, could lie. That concerning their feveral plans for the government of India, though decided already by the Houfe, he was ftill willing to accommodate as far as poffible. His bill, he thought at the fame time, would be a lofer by the new modifications to which he was willing to fubmit it; but he would gladly have it poffeffed of as much public confidence as poffible. He was therefore happy to affure the House, that whatever feemed moft objectionable with regard especially to patronage, would at least in a great measure be removed. Few exceptions on this very material point at least, would, he perfuaded himself, remain, in confequence of the plan which he had now under contemplation; but notwithstanding this, fhould any difcordance of opinion ftill continue on that head, he faw no impropriety in fubmitting even that to the difcuffion of Parliament. The only obstacle, then, which still remained, was the prefent fituation of the right honourable gentleman. He declared the perfonal attentions or fituation of his noble friend (Lord North) would prove none. But there could be no cordial, no firm or efficient union, till the right honourable gentleman and his party fubmitted to the conftitution of the country. The expedient referred to in the Duke of Portland's letter was, that they fhould ceafe to be the Minifters of this country, but continue to support the etiquette of office till a proper arrangement could be made. He declared, however, that, as a man of honour, he faw no other hindrance to the union which had been urged than that now stated; that he could not treat with men while they refused to treat on constitutional VOL. XIII.

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grounds;

The Chan

grounds; that he meant only to fupport the conflitutional confequence of the people of England; and that a negocia tion which admitted a precedent fo deftructive of it, was inconfiftent with his perfonal honour, and with his duty to his country.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer faid there was one ground cellor of the on which gentlemen feemed principally to wish for an Exchequer. union; and that was, that if the prefent Miniftry was difmiffed, and the late one restored, the oppofition that he would give to the measures of that Adminiftration would prevent the members of it from acting with all that vigour and efficacy that the ftate of affairs required; on this fubject he would have fatid this much, that he fhould not be found in any oppofition to any measure which fhould appear to him calculated for the public good; he knew heavy burdens must be laid on the people, let who will be Minifters; and to those burdens he would not object, if he should fee they were laid on with judgment and difcretion! As to union, it was not poffible that any man could wish for it more fincerely than he did, provided it could be effected upon principle and with honour. The right honourable gentleman fpoke laft of personal fituations, and he did right; for if they could agree upon every thing elfe, it was impoffi ble they could differ on that head. There might, indeed, be perfons, against whom he had no perfonal dislike whatever; whofe private character he refpected and revered; whofe abilities were eminent; and yet, notwithstanding all this, they were perfons of that description, with whom he could never bring himself to act in the cabinet. [It was Lord North only Mr. Pitt had in view.] The right honourable gentleman faid, an union might take place, in which one Minifter might look to the right for fupport and confidence, and another to the left; but he thought a Minifter ought to look to both he ought to look for the confidence of his Sovereign, and for the confidence of that Houfe; he would go farther, he ought to look for the confidence of the Houfe of Lords and of the people. He had faid to the Houfe before, and he would repeat it again, that there was no law in this kingdom, which made it criminal in him to remain in office, notwithstanding a refolution of the House of Commons. He would, however, admit, that the confidence of that Houfe was abfolutely neceffary, and that an Adminiftration could not laft that did not poffefs it. He did not, however, agree with the right honourable gentleman in opinion, that there was any fimilitude between the refolution of

the

the 16th of January last, and that principle of confidence on which money was voted in that Houfe. It was certainly neceffary that the Commons, in matters which, being entirely profeffional, they were not able to judge of, fhould confide for the propriety of them, in the Minister from whole department the estimates came; as, for inftance, in the cafe of the Ordnance estimates, which were to be voted that evening, the House muft of course repofe a confidence in the Mafter General of the Ordnance, whofe duty and profeffion it was to fee and judge that the estimates were proper, but furely the right honourable gentleman would not declare that this was the kind of confidence the House had in view when the refolution of the 16th of January paffed. With respect to the refignation which the right honourable gentleman looked for as a preliminary to a treaty,' he was ready to fay this much, that he and his colleagues were ready to refign the moment there should be a profpect of an Administration being formed by whom the country might be effectually served. But when he confidered the duty he owed to his Sovereign and to the people, he could not reconcile it either to that duty or to his own honour, to refign fooner. With respect to the India bill, there were points which he had hitherto maintained, and from which he felt not the least difpofition to recede; and if the part he had taken in coming into office, had produced no other good than that of defeating a meafure that threatened even the Conftitution of the country, he fhould ever think he had done a meritorious fervice. If fuch alterations fhould be made by the right honourable gentleman as would remove the grounds of his apprehenfions for the Conftitution, he would find great confolation even in this, though other parts fhould remain in the bill to which his objections were as ftrong as ever.

Lord North spoke to the following effect:

I was not here at the commencement of this debate, but I can easily fee from what has paffed fince I came into the Houfe, that I have formed a confiderable part of the subject of what has been faid. Give me leave therefore, Sir, to say a few words upon a fubject which I am sure I do not wish to make the topic of debate here, but which were I to pass over, now that it is brought forward, I fhould do injuftice to myfelf, and fhould be wanting in refpect to the Houfe. Sir, it is impoffible for me not to perceive that the right honourable gentleman who spoke laft, alluded to me, as the person with whom he could not act. I beg leave to fay, Sir, that whatever that gentleman's opinion may be, from whatever individual quarter that language may come, with whatever flow of

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