Mr. Fox profeffed himself entirely eafy as to a diffolution, Mr. Fox. after this declaration of the honourable gentleman; had he condefcended to have expreffed himfelf fo a fortnight ago, he would have faved the Parliament and the people much trouble and much anxiety. The right honourable gentleman had at length thought proper to relax in fome degree from that abfolute filence, that fullen referve the Houfe fo lately experienced from him; but has he, purfued Mr. Fox, ditcharged every duty of refpect? Has he acquitted himself with due decency to this Houfe? or has he not purfued the very reverse of fuch a conduct, in continuing in his fituation as Minifter in pofitive and direct contempt of a folemn refolution of this honourable House? That this House has a right to addrefs and advife his Majefty in the choice of his Minifters, as well as other fubjects of importance, is a point on which no perfon will venture to difpute, though his Majefty has certainly, by the frame of the conftitution, the right of chufing his own Minifters, a prerogative which he may exercife at his discretion; but that a member of this House shall, in defiance of its folemn vote, delivered after full difcuffion, after a long debate, and the matureft deliberation, prefume to continue in so obnoxious a fituation, is fuch an infult to the honour, the fenfe, and the judgment of Parliament, as muft not be overlooked. Can it be expected that the bufinefs of the nation can be conducted with effect, can proceed at all during the administration of men who want that indifpenfable requifite to every Miniftry, the confidence of the people? Are we to be told that the opinions, the most folemn refolutions of this House, are to be confidered as trifles in the eye of one of its own members? or will the gentleman openly avow what his conduct fo fufficiently manifefts, that he confiders himself fuperior to this Houfe? That a fituation he -ftole into by intrigue, private whifpers, and springing the mine of fecret influence, fhall fupport him against the pofitive answer of the House of Commons? Shall he think to erect the banner of fecret influence here, in oppofition to public confidence? or that he can continue, what I am obliged now to call him, the unconftitutional Minifter of the Crown, against the voice of Parliament and the spirit of the conftitution? Then, indeed, would there be an end to the excellence of that fyftem, which we vaunt as the utmost effort of legislative perfection; then could we no longer boast of that happy equilibrium on which our liberties depended; and our Conftitution, from being the envy and admiration, would become the mockery and fcorn of all Europe; these

are

The Chancellor of the Exchequer.

are circumftances too glaring to be doubted. This is a fituation too grievous to be tolerated; we have, faid he, hitherto acted on the calmeft, on the mildeft principles; but however unwilling to adopt ftrong and violent measures, we ought not to be lefs determined, nor are those with whom I have the honour to act. Why, then, will the gentleman perfevere to mock, to infult the dignity and the honour of Parliament ? Why will he always perfift in forcing to disagreeable extremities? I would not this night, nor for fome time, perhaps, move any refolution on this fubject. I fhould be forry to recur to means which would wear any other than a conciliatory afpect, or fhould tend to diffolve those bands of union and harmony between the legislative and executive power, fo neceffary to carry into effect the various operations of policy and government. After very ably and accurately difcuffing Mr. Pitt's allegations, and fhewing the impoffibility of any bufinefs being effectually or fuccefsfully conducted under an Adminiftration formed on the principles of the prefent, and lying under the cenfure of the Houfe, he concluded by very earnestly entreating gentlemen to confider the circumftances in queftion, and acting with coolness, and deliberation, but ftill preferving firmness and refolution.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied, that he had not touched on the fubject to which the honourable gentleman directed the principal part of his attention, not expecting it would be introduced into the debate. He had referved himfelf for the Committee on the ftate of the nation, when he intended to fay fomething on that head. However he thought it his duty to reply, in order to ftate the reasons of his continuance in office. He obferved, that he came into office to fulfil the duty be owed His Majefty, whofe confidence he had not forfeited by any attempt to introduce any new power un known to the conftitution; and though he always would pay the moft profound refpect to the decifions of that honourable House, he did not know but he might incur the censure of the right honourable gentleman oppofite him, by obferving, that as the conftitution vefted in His Majefty the power of chufing his own Minifters, deciding on the propriety of that choice, did not fall properly within the province of the House of Commons: he was forry to find the determinations of that Houfe had not lately been marked with all the attention that one might have imagined they would have paid to this conftitutional doctrine. It was certainly fevere to condemn the conduct of an Adminiftration before the charges against them were proved and established. In this inftance he could not

but

but confider himself very much aggrieved: untried, unconnected, he lay under the cenfure of a refolution of the House; but he had at leaft the confolation to reflect, that in proportion as he and his colleagues were more tried, and more known, in the fame proportion were they more approved, and more established in the favour and confidence of the House, and of the people, with whom they every day rofe in efteem and approbation. The reduction of that great majority whereby the gentlemen in oppofition carried their first question, into the trifling one their last refolutions paffed by, muft convince them of the decline of their caufe; the charge of his confidering himself superior to the Houfe, he faid, could have no other fqundation than abfurdity, except indeed to think differently from a majority of that House, might bear that conftruction; and if fo, it was an imputation to which that honourable member had frequently been fubject. He confidered the refolutions of the honourable Houfe by no means binding on the principles of an individual; the very bulwark of our conftitution was freedom of acting, and freedom of speaking; the control then of Parliament could not affect the free principles of acting, whereby liberty is to be prized. Were he difpofed to act as the gentlemen would with him to do, his duty would prevent him. For what purpofe fhould the prefent arrangement give way? The anfwer was obvious, to make room for the introduction of a set of people, who were lately difmiffed for a conduct which loft them the confidence of their Sovereign, as well as that of the people. To look around them, and view the confequences of a refignation, he could fee nothing that would not deter him from fo ruinous a conduct; where could another arrangement be found, more likely to give fatisfaction? This led him to advert to a wifh very generally and very warmly expreffed, of forming an union which might give stability to Government, and reconcile all parties: to fuch a mea fure he profeffed himfelf by no means an enemy, provided it could be established on fuch a broad and liberal bafis as would meet the wishes of that refpectable and independent fet of men, by whose support and countenance he had all along been honoured; but in accomplishing this object, he faid, all perfonal prejudices and private views, pride and punctilio, fhould be laid afide, and a stable government and folid union be alone fought for. The honourable gentleman, in treating on this fubject, had infifted, as a prelimi

VOL. XIII.

nary,

Mr. Fox,

nary, on the entire refignation of office on the part of the prefent Administration; but though he poffeffed an employment of eminence, it was not one of choice, and he trufted, whenever a favourable opportunity offered, he would prove himself not to be tenacious of power, or defirous to cling to office, but that he acted from patriotic, not private confiderations: his duty obliged him to preferve his fituation till another arrangement fhould be formed, and not fuffer the nation to remain in that state of anarchy which it experienced on a former and somewhat fimilar occafion; if gentlemen wished to treat on fair public principles, let them lay afide the trifles of etiquette and ceremony, which could answer no folid purpose; let them pro ceed on terms of candour, by which alone an union might be formed on a permanent and firm foundation, which could alone preserve this country, while ruin and mifery must be the inevitable confequences of divifion.

Mr. Fox faid, if the honourable member before had not manifefted his confidering himself fuperior to this House, he in this inftance had clearly expreffed, ftanding up the unconftitutional Minister of the Crown; he defpifed the refolution of this infignificant affembly. The honourable gentleman remarked on the advantage of appealing to the fenfe of the Houfe, and very juftly; the honourable gentieman was himself the only Minifter who ever defpifed their approbation, creeping into power by means unfair, as they were unconftitutional; he did not pretend to that confidence which fo eminently diftinguished the late Ministry, the confidence of this Houfe, and the confidence of the people. Ceremony and etiquette he might be eafily induced to forego; nay, he fhould even, on fome occafions, facrifice his own honour, and that of his friends, and fuffer their dignity to be diminished, if the emergencies of his country re quired it, but on no occafion would he fuffer any facrifice to be made of the honour or the dignity of the House of Commons; both the one and the other were at ftake in the contempt of their refolutions: as long as they conveyed a cenfure, as long as they reprobated the principles on which the Ministry held their fituations, fo long would he refuse to unite with them; fo long would he oppofe them, though they fhould poffefs all the abilities, all the virtues, and the popularity which any former Adminiftration might have poffeffed, or which night poffibly fall to the fhare of any fubfequent Adminiftration. But how does the gentleman attempt to defend himself? On what ground does he ftand

I

against the cenfure of Parliament? Because (he fays) the majorities against him are diminishing. How would he exclaim if this argument had been ufed against him in the year 1782, when we loft a divifion by a majority of one; and next queftion gained it by a majority of 16. The Miniftry of that time had the fpirit to refign when they loft the fupport and confidence of Parliament, circumftances effentially neceffary in the former Minifters; but the love of power and ftation has, in the prefent Minister of the Crown, always predominated over every other confideration; from the removal on a former occasion may be dated the mine, which at length blew up the late Miniftry.

D

I have been much myself (faid Mr. Fox) in the habit of differing from a majority, but it was on public points in which I had no concern as their fervant. If I had at any time found the fenfe of the House against me as a Minifter, I should immediately have refigned, and faid, you must find fome other inftrument to do your business, for I fhall never be agent in any cause I do not approve. Mr. Fox, with infinite point, and infinite fuccefs, combated all Mr. Pitt's pofitions, avowing a determined refolution to enter into no terms with the Minifters of the Crown while they continued in office.

The queftion was again called for, and agreed to without a divifion.

Mr. Fox then rofe, and moved that the House fhould go Mr. Fox, into the committee on the ftate of the nation on Thurfday next the 29th. The Houfe accordingly adjourned to the 29th.

The following Speech having through error been omitted, it is thought neceffary to infert it in this place, Vide Vol. XII. page 482.

On Mr. Erfkine's motion "that an addrefs be prefented to the King," &c. Mr. Beaufoy, in reply to Lord North, Mr. Beaufpoke to the following effect:

Notwithstanding the pleafantry of the noble Lord who spoke last but one in the debate, notwithstanding the jocular mood in which he addreffed you, I cannot but affent to the melancholy reflections with which the honourable gentleman who moved the addrefs introduced that motion to the House. For that the present season is indeed a season of alarm; that the diftreffes of the kingdom are great beyond

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foy.