IX. 1770. CHA P. the expediture of the firft ought to be investigated to afcertain its neceffity; but that not being the case, there were no reasons to require or to justify an examination: on these grounds, the motion was negatived. Mr. Grenville's bill ing con tested elections, On the 7th of March, Mr. George Grenville profor regulat pofed a bill for regulating contested elections. These were formerly tried by a select committee; by degrees the committees were fo enlarged, as to become open to every member: fo great a number of judges, not bound by oath, decided very often according to party connection, or fome other partiality, instead of justice; and many instances occurred of unfair nominations. To remedy this evil, Mr. Grenville propofed a plan analogous to a trial by jury. Before a conteft could be tried, the house must confift of not less than a hundred members; the names of all present were to be put into boxes, and to be drawn out till they amounted to forty-nine; the two litigants were alternately to ftrike off one of thefe, till they were reduced to thirteen; thefe, with two nominees, were to be fworn a felect committee, empowered to examine records, papers, and witneffes, and to determine finally. The bill was paffed into a law, fince well known by the name of the Grenville act, and is confidered as having made a very beneficial change in the fairness of decifions. is paffed into a law. Lord bill for re duties on America American affairs began in March to occupy the attention of parliament, and first offered to the pealing all public an opportunity of judging of lord North's ministerial talents. The British merchants who traded to America, had sustained immenfe loffes by the rejection of their goods; and, apprehending except on tea. ruin IX. 1770. ruin if the affociations fhould continue, prefented CHAP. petitions to parliament, stating their sufferings, and praying its intervention. On the 5th of March, lord North proposed a bill for the repeal of part of the act of 1767, which laid a duty on paper, painted colours, and glass, but continuing the part of the fame law which exacted a duty from tea. The minister affigned as a reason for bringing in the bill, the dangerous combinations which the imposts had produced in America, with the loffes and diffatisfaction which they had caused among the merchants at home. He ftrongly expreffed his disapprobation of the act in queftion, but cenfured it as an unproductive impoft, not as an impolitic claim the articles taxed (he faid) being chiefly British manufactures, ought to have been encouraged instead of being burdened with affeffments. The duty on tea was continued, for maintaining the parliamentary right of taxation. An impost of three-pence in the pound could never be oppofed by the colonists, unless they were determined to rebel against Britain. Besides, a duty on that article payable in England, and amounting to nearly one fhilling in the pound, was taken off on its exportation to America; fo that the inhabitants of the colonies faved nine pence in the pound. The minister here discovered that he had not investigated the state of affairs, and the fentiments of the people; for a curfory attention to the declarations and acts of the Americans must have demonftrated, that their objection was not to the amount, but to the claim; and experience might have convinced him, that no temporifing expedients, no half measures, would be effectual. IX. 1770. CHA P. effectual. Different as the profeffed opinions of the Rockingham administration and of lord North were, their policy fprang from fimilar indecifion. Wishing to please both parties, they left the chief matter in dispute undetermined, and of course a subject of future contention. The members of oppofition did not fail to fee and to predict the inefficacy of the minifter's plan; they repeated the arguments on the injuftice and inexpediency of taxing America, and the evils which had arifen from the attempt: the minifter's propofitions, however, were carried by a great majority. This act may be confidered as an omen of lord North's administration; at least, so far as a display of character juftifies predictions refpecting future conduct and its result. Discerning men faw meritorious intentions and ready ingenuity, without the accompa niment of that enlarged political wisdom, firmness, and decifion of mind, which only when united can constitute a beneficial statesman. Tumult at The very day on which the refolutions were paffed that lord North intended for fatisfying the colonies, a quarrel arofe at Bofton between fome of the inhabitants and a party of foldiers. While the troops fent to Boston in 1768, remained in that town, the people had been awed into quietnefs; but in the end of 1769, a great part of them having been ordered to other quarters, those who remained were treated with the most provoking infolence; they were lampooned and abused in the newspapers; ridiculed and reviled, if met fingly or in small bodies in the ftreets; and difturbed and interrupted in the dif charge of their duty. In the evening of the 5th of March, IX. 1770. Captain Preston and interfere. March, a dispute happened between two or three CHA P. young men of the town, and as many foldiers, near the barracks*; virulent language produced blows; the foldiers proved victorious, and pursued their adverfaries through the streets. The bells were rung to alarm the populace; a mbb affembled round the custom-house, and threatened the fentinel's life that was pofted there; captain Prefton, the officer on guard, fent a party to protect not only the foldiers the foldier, but the cuftom-houfe, and foon after proceeded thither himself. The mob, becoming very violent, attacked the foldiers with ftones and clubs; the captain, as long as it was poffible, kept his men from firing; but at length, their lives being in danger, they were obliged to use their arms in their own defence: four of the infurgents were killed, and fome others wounded: the tumult became much more general, and the rest of the troops were affembled. The governor † having called together the council, they advised the removal of the troops, which was accordingly ordered. Captain Preston surrendered himself for trial, and the foldiers under his command were taken into cuftody. Every unfair means that could be used were employed to inflame the people against the defendants, and to prejudge the cause. In the newspapers, and * See Stedman, vol. i. p. 75. + Mr. Hutchinfon had been lately appointed to that office. The Americans had petitioned for the removal of fir Francis Bernard; and that gentleman having returned to England to defend himself, vindicated his conduct to the fatisfaction and approbation of his fovereign. Difdaining, however, to refume his authority among people who had folicited its annihilation, he refigned his employment. various IX. 1770. CHAP. various other publications, the troops were repre fented as guilty of deliberate murder; dead bodies were carried in proceffion through the town, and held out as the victims of military execution. Fortunately for the cause of justice, the trials were put off for several months, fo that the ferment fubfided: captain Preston was honourably acquitted; as were all the foldiers, except two, who were convicted of manflaughter. Are tried and ac quitted. Minifter, wishing overlooks the riot. The account of this tumult arrived in England conciliation, before the rifing of parliament, and it was expected that ministry would have immediately proposed taking it into confideration. They, however, purpofely waved the difcuffion, entertaining great hopes of the conciliatory effect of the recent repeal; and, as the disturbances had taken place when that was not known in America, they trusted that the account of the new refolutions would change their fentiments, and produce difpofitions to order, tranquillity, and harmony. They thought it therefore prudent to abstain from investigations which might Seffion rifes. again inflame the colonists; and the feffion closed toward the end of May. War between Ruffia and Turkey. A war was now raging on the continent, in which Britain, without actually interfering, warmly favoured one of the parties. For feveral years it had been part of the British policy to renew and increase that intercourse with Ruffia, which, from political, but still more from commercial motives, former kings had cultivated, but which had been diminished in the last war by the alliance of the czarina with our enemies. Turkey had been for fucceffive ages on amicable terms with France, and to French ports |