queftion, he faid, must be decided by the confciences of thofe, who as a jury were called upon to determine, what was or was not within their knowledge. He obferved, however, as a collateral circumftance of evidence, that nothing lefs than the moft alarming and corrupt influence, could induce a number of gentlemen in that houfe, to fupport the minifter by their votes in thofe meafures within doors, which they condemned and reprobated without. That this was the cafe, and within his own immediate knowledge, he declared upon his honour; and added, that though he was not himself very fqueamish, nor over-delicate, in giving his opinion upon the meafures of adminiftration, he had never indulged himself in throwing upon them fuch fevere epithets, as had fallen in his prefence from the mouths of members abroad, who, notwithstanding, fupported them within thofe walls; nor was the number fmall, for, but that the task would be too invidious, he could mention no lefs than fifty members of that houfe, who had held that language and conduct.

On the other hand, the minifters and their friends contended, that the refolution now moved was clearly an abstract propofition.The learned gentleman had declared, that he would not inform the house what further measures he intended to graft upon his intended refolutions; this afforded to them all the properties, and even the exact definition of an abftract queftion. There were, to be fure, inftances in the records of parliament, in which abftract queftions were moved and agreed to;

but they were very improper examples to be followed; and in general, even in those cafes, they related to fome previous proceedings in the house, fome difputed point, fome fubject of controversy under difcuffion, in which the fenfe of the houfe was particularly called for. When this happened not to be the cafe, the perfon who propofed to the house to vote an abftract queftion, having a profpective view to measures which were to be engrafted in it, was bound by the nature of the requifition, to explain what thofe meafures were intended to be; otherwife, one of those two things might happen, either that the house fhould vote an abstract question to no manner of purpose, or that after having agreed to the leading propofition, they might, notwithftanding, be under a neceflity of rejecting the measure to be engrafted on it, although that meafure might well bear a strong feeming relation to the antecedent refolution; a circumftance which would throw a difgraceful appearance of inconfiftency and abfurdity upon their proceedings.

The propofed refolution, they faid, came fully within these predicaments. It was purely abstract, as not being connected with any one meafure whatever; it pointed to no remedy, nor was it apparently defigned to avert any evil. Many gentlemen in that house might poffibly think, that the influence of the crown was really increafing; others, that it was increafed; and fome, perhaps, that it ought to be diminished. Thefe, through their ignorance of what was to follow, might vote for the abftract propofition fimply as it

food;

ftood; and yet might afterwards totally difapprove of the measure with which the learned gentleman intended to follow it up; whereas, if the measure of correction had accompanied the fact of abufe, they would, from a knowledge of its tendency, have rejected the queftion in the abstract.

They objected to the total want of evidence to fupport the facts; and could for themselves answer that they were wholly unfounded. The flightest view of the ftate of public affairs would directly overthrow the whole fuppofition. Was it a time when America was loft! it was feared irretrievably loft! when that lofs was fucceeded by a war with France, and another with Spain; was it a time, after fo long a series of disappointments, untoward events, ill fuccefs and loffes, and all the unpopular confequences incident to fuch a ftate of things, to fuppofe that the influence of the crown was increased? The people were heavily burthened; they forefaw an increase of those burthens daily approaching; they felt the lofs of America; they were disappointed and out of temper; in fuch circumftances to talk of the influence of the crown, was abfurd and prepofterous.

It was befides argued to be unfair and unjuft with refpect to the prefent administration. It would appear, they faid, if the present refolution was adopted, at least to the people without doors, that this influence had originated, and was daily increafing, under the prefent adminiftration. This implied a cenfure of fo fevere a nature, as called for the moft found and fubftantial proof before it should be

admitted, much lefs eftablished by a vote of parliament. For if any fuch influence exifted at all, it muft have exifted before the prefent minifters were born; but the charge was not accompanied or fupported by a fingle argument, which could diftinguifh this administration even from any other during the prefent reign..

They farther urged, that the prefent mode of carrying on the government of this country had continued the fame exactly from the revolution downwards; and unlefs fome proof were fhewn that an influence, whatever that might be, exifted at prefent, different from that which was fupposed to exift in former times, the prefent vote would be replete with danger to the conftitution; for it would tend to alter that fyftem of government, which had been eitablished by our forefathers; and which had been approved of, continued, and confirmed, by feveral fucceeding generations.

The affertion, as to the reprobation of the measures of ministers without doors, by thofe who had. fupported them within, was bitterly refented.

The fact itself feemed to be doubted, as much as propriety would admit of; and a court lord, after every poffible degree of execration of fuch men, if they really exifted, called upon them to quit his fide of the houfe, and to go over to the other, emphatically crying out, Go, you worst of men, be your hearts and motives ever fo corrupt, preferve fome appearance of principle and decency, and fupport thofe principles in public, which you approve of, and fecretly avow, in private."

The

The speaker, on this day, took a decided part in fupport of the motion. He obferved, that however irksome it was to him to take any part in their debates, and however cautious he was, and ought to be, of obtruding his own private opinions on the house, there were cafes, and he confidered the prefent as one of them, in which it would be criminal in him to remain filent. The queftion before them, he said, was of infinite confequence to that house, and to the people at large; both were under the greatest obligation to the learned gentleman who had brought it under difcuffion; and however it might be determined, he was happy in the opportunity which it afforded him of difcharging his duty, as a member of that houfe, both to his conftituents, and to his country in general.

He denied that the question was in any degree abstract; it was a question of fact. What were the facts? It defired the house to refolve in the firft inftance, that the influence of the crown was increased; who would doubt the truth of that fact?-That it is increafing; could any man doubt of that either? He believed not. If there was any fuch perfon prefent, he was fure that he was not himfelf that person. He had feen fo many inftances of both fince he had the honour of a feat in that houfe, as fufficiently juftified him in faying, that the influence of the crown had increased, and was increasing. The petitions on the table averred the fact; it was the duty of that house to say whether it was or was not fo. It was an allegation which called for no proofs; it did not indeed admit of

any. It could only be known to the members of that houfe, and they were the only perfons competent to refolve it; for fuch were the circumftances of the affair, that if it were even proved by evidence, they only could know whether the evidence was true or falfe. They were bound as jurors, by the conviction arifing in their own minds, and were obliged to determine accordingly.

He appealed to the feelings and experience of gentlemen who heard him, if the influence of the crown had not increased, was not daily increafing, and whether it was not the duty of that houfe to limit it? He profeffed himself a friend to the legal conftitutional prerogatives of the crown; but he contended that these afforded the only legitimate influence, which it could have, or ought to exercise; and afked, whether it was not a very vain and idle thing to limit or mete out the prerogatives of the crown, while they permitted another, and much more dangerous, because a concealed influence, to operate in their stead.

He further obferved, that the fpecies of government established in this country, under its true and proper definition of a monarchy limited by law, he was free to say, required no other affiftance for the exercife of its functions, than what it derived from the conftitution and the laws. That the powers vefted in the executive part of government, and in his opinion wifely placed there, were ample and fufficient for all the purposes of good government, and without any further aid, were much too ample for the purposes of bad government; and he thought himself

bound

bound as an honest man to declare, that the influence of the crown had increased far beyond the ideas of a monarchy ftrictly limited in its nature and extent.

Such doctrines and opinions, coming from fuch an authority, could not but produce fome confiderable effect. The fpeaker likewife obferved to the committee, that it might poffibly be very galling to them to be informed of their duty by the petitioners; but they fhould recollect that it was entirely their own fault. He was forry, in one sense, to fee thofe petitions before them; because he was of opinion, that the house, confcious of its own duty, fhould have prevented the neceffity. What the petitioners now demanded, thould have originated within their own 'walls; and then, what now would bear too much the appearance of compulfion, would have been received with gratitude on the one fide, and conferred with credit and a good grace on the other. But at any rate they were to confider, that they were then fitting as the reprefentatives of the people, and folely for their advantage and benefit; and that they in duty ftood pledged to that people, who were their creators, for the faithful difcharge of their truft.

The Lord Advocate of Scotland, in order to obtain a negative to the motion, proposed to ftrengthen the propofition in fuch a manner, as, he thought, muft of neceffity occafion its rejection. He accordingly moved as an amendment the following words, "That it is "now neceffary to declare," an amendment which the oppofition (undoubtedly from a fenfe of their trength) readily, and perhaps

unexpectedly agreed to. The amended question then stood thus,-That it is the opinion of this committee, that it is now neceffary to declare, that the influence of the crown is increased, increafing, and ought to be diminifhed.

The committee divided about 12 o'clock, when the motion fo amended was carried by a majority of 18; the numbers being 233, who fupported Mr. Dunning's propofition, to 215, who voted with administration against it. Thus the minifter, a fecond time in this feffion, found himself in a minority.

Mr. Dunning then moved his second propofition, "That it is competent to this house to exa«mine into, and to correct abuses "in the expenditure of the civil "lift revenues, as well as in

every other branch of the pub"lic revenue, whenever it hall "feem expedient to the wisdom "of this house so to do."

Although the minifter requested that the committee would not proceed any farther that night, the queftion was notwithstanding put, and carried without a divifion. But the new majority, after the vexation of fo many years labour in the ineffective efforts of a minority, were now determined to make the most of the advantages afforded by their new fituation. Mr. T. Pitt, accordingly (who had taken a moft active and fpirited part in the debates of the day) moved the following refolution, That it is the opinion of this committee," that it is the duty "of this house to provide, as far "as may be, an immediate and "effectual redrefs of the abuses " com

complained of in the petitions prefented to this houfe, from "the different counties, cities, "and towns in this kingdom."

The minifter again intreated and implored, but with no better fuccefs than before, that the committee would not proceed any farther for that night. No ground of argument being taken against, nor oppofition whatever made to this conclufive motion, it was carried in the affirmative without an apparent diffent.

The bufinefs was not, however, yet over. The house being refumed, Mr. Fox moved, that the refolutions fhould be immediately reported. This was oppofed by the minifter, with all the force he yet retained, as being unufual, violent, and arbitrary. But the torrent was too ftrong to be refifted. The refolutions were feverally reported and received; and, after being read a first and fecond time, were agreed to, and confirmed by the houfe, without a divifion.

Such was the complete and decifive victory gained, in behalf of the petitions, by the oppofition, on that extraordinary and memorable day. The exultation and triumph on one fide of the houfe, was only equalled by the evident depreffion and difmay which prevailed on the fide of adminiftration. Indeed the appearance of things was fufficient to ftrike the boldeft with difmay; nor does it feem, that any propofition could have been brought fairly before the houfe on that night, which, in the fpirit that then prevailed, would not have been carried against the minifters. When the nature and the tendency of the queftions are

confidered, and the manner in which they were carried, is attentively viewed, fcarcely any thing more important feems to have been so proposed and carried fince the revolution. The fyftem of the court was fhaken to its foundations. Without doors, the joy and triumph in moft parts of England, as well in moft of the counties that did not petition, as in those that did, was great and general; and though not difplayed in the fame manner, would not perhaps have been exceeded, on occafion of the most decifive victory over a foreign enemy.

It can be no matter of furprize, that under the preffure of fuch circumftances, and pushed without mercy on all fides as he was, the minifter fhould in fome inftances be thrown off his guard fo much, as to fhew ftrong marks of indignation and refentment; more efpecially when keen perfonal reproach was fuperadded to the general fenfe of misfortune. This effect was particularly produced by the feverity of fome ftrictures thrown out by Mr. Thomas Pitt; who obferved, that there could not be a more indubitable proof of the enormous and deftructive influence of the crown, than that noble lord afforded in the poffeffion of his prefent office, after fo many years of lofs, misfortune, and calamity, as had already marked the fatal courfe of his adminiftration. He afked, whether that noble lord had not loft America? Whether he had not fquandered many millions of the public money, and wafted rivers of blood of the fubjects of Great Britain. And yet, though the whole country with one voice cried

out