duty on the occafion. The influence of the Crown was faid to have been increafeing, to be increafing, and that it ought to be diminished. If, therefore, it inould appear, that the influence of the Crown had increased, it would undoubtedly be very proper to diminish it. But Gentlemen had called for proof? The Right Hon. Member begged leave to inform the Committee, that no proof could be brought. The cafe before them required none. The people of England had petitioned the Houfe, and alledged in their Petitions, that the influence of the Crown had increased, the House were therefore to act in the nature of Jurymen, and to decide whether the allega tions they had fet forth were true or not. And how were they to decide? Upon their honour, upon their honour and confcience they were to determine; their own feelings were to enable them to decide, whether the influence of the Crown had increased or not, and he did not conceive how it was poffible for a better mode of judging to be adopted.

No one he faid was more a friend to Monarchy than he was; but he muft at the fame time declare it to be his opinion, that the influence of the Crown had increased, He appealed to the good fenfe of every Gentleman, if that was not the fact; and if it was, whether it was not incumbent on them to diminish that overgrown influence. He trusted he was not inimical to the prerogative of the Crown, and he hoped he fhould not be thought lefs tenacious of the right of the subject. That he might be properly understood, for he meant to be explicit, he was free to declare in the most direct, express, and unequivocal terms, that the influence of the Crown had been increasing of late to a moft alarming degree. It might very poffibly be galling to the Committee to hear it from the Speaker of the Houfe, but it was his duty to hold the fcales even, and to take care, as far as it fhould lie in his power, that neither the prerogative of the Crown, nor the liberties of the people, fhould be violated.

The Right Hon. Gentleman preffed it home to the Committee, as a matter of duty they owed to the electors of Great Britain, to confider the allegations contained in their Petitions, for that they were bound to take due care of their rights and property; it was for that very purpose alone they fent Reprefentatives to Parliament; and as to the affertion of an increafed influence of the Crown, it was

furely well founded, for it was to be feen every day, and every hour, in that House, through which an influence pervaded, not of a temporary, but of a permanent na

ture.

The Right Hon. Gentleman faid, the people of England had done very right to petition Parliament: they had also done it in a very proper, peaceable, and conftitutional manner; and it was no fmall reproach to the House, that they should have wished to be told their duty by the people in their Petitions, and be ftimulated by their fpirit to undertake a diminution of the influence of the Crown.

Mr. Paulet fpoke in very ftrong terms in favour of the motion.

The Lord Advocate faid, however great his respect was for the learned Member (Sir Fletcher Norton) and though he bowed to fo high an authority with all poffible humiliation, yet he could by no means fubfcribe to his opinion. In his idea, the Committee were not to act as Jurymen on the allegations fet forth in the Petition on the table. For his part, he believed when Gentlemen talked of an increafed influence of the Crown, they did not very well know what they were talking about. When Gentlemen wifhed that influence to be diminished, did they mean that the army and navy should be taken out of the hands of Government? or did they mean to take away all the honours and diftribution of favours annexed to power? Unless they meant that, they certainly meant nothing at all.

With regard to the queftion, he fhould most affuredly oppofe it, and would not be at all afhamed to put it to the Committee, that the Chairman thould quit the chair, and report a progrefs. This, he faid, he was determined to do, and he was fure he should have a very adequate fupport from those who thought we were happy, in full fecurity, and the entire enjoyment of our rights and liberties.

Mr. Pitt arraigned the conduct of the Minifter in the molt pointed terms, and infitted upon the propriety of the motion before the Committee. The influence of the Crown had, in his opinion, been increafed to a very dangerous extent, and, unless fomething fhould be done, in confequence of the Petitions of the people of England, he should be afraid to think of what might enfue. There was a time when he was proud of the name of Englifhman; for there was a time, and he hoped he did not speak through vanity, when this country was brought to the Ссг

highest

highest pitch of glory under a Whig Minifter, a relation of his-he meant the Earl of Chatham.

But it was now the reverfe. Every thing we once valued had been loft in the American war. That had been the fource of all our calamities; millions of money and rivers of blood had been facrificed in that unhappy war, and all for a point of honour. The Hon. Gentleman charged the Minifter with being the author of all our diftreffes, and particularly with having loft America. He defended the conduct of Oppofition, and afferted, that it had been owing to their efforts, that the Minifter had kept fo long in office. With respect to the question, he thought every one hound to fupport it, fince the Minitter's continuance in office was alone enough to prove the influence of the Crown.

Lord North denied that America had been loft through him, or that he was to be accufed as the author of any public diftrefs. He wished his conduct to be investigated; for he was ready to anfwer any charge that might be brought against it. The Hon. Gentleman who had spoke laft had faid he owed his continuance in office to the efforts of Oppofition; if fo, he certainly did not owe it to any influence of the Crown. But if he really was indebted for holding his poft to the efforts of Oppofition, it was because there was fo much danger to be apprehended from them, that it was thought unfafe for him to retire. That, indeed, bad rendered it neceffary for him to remain in office, that the efforts of a set of men might be the better opposed, whofe endeavours had ever been used against Government, and whose designs were to ruin the Conftitution.

These last words ufed by the noble Lord threw the Houfe into the utmolt confufion, and his Lordship was called to order by Mr. Townshend, who told his Lordship, in very fpirited terms, that the application of fuch expreffions to Oppofition were unjustifiable, and by no means to be endured. Lord North, how ever, avowed them, and a general cry ran through the Houfe for the Clerk to take down his words.

Lord North upon this rose again, and afked, what right any Gentleman had to be perfonal towards him, and accufe him of being the author of the American

war.

Sir William Meredith rofe with great warmth, and told the noble Lord, he thought there was not a man in the

3

whole Houfe, who could not, with great justice and truth, charge the noble Lord with being the author of the American war, and confequently all the horrid confequences that had arifen therefrom.

Lord North rofe again, and faid it was very hard that he should be accused, and not allowed an opportunity of replying in his own vindication; and he verily believed there was a determination to deny him that justice.

The Committee, as in one voice, exclaimed, no! no! and Mr. Pitt replied to the noble Lord.

Lord North rofe a third time, and declared there was not a man in the whole kingdom more averfe than he was to an improper influence of the Crown; but he would still avow the words he had ufed, for the Opposition were, in his opinion, uling a conduct, that would tend to ruin the Constitution' [A fresh cry, more vehement than the former, to take down thote words.] What remained to be done in confequence of the Petitions? A commiflion of accounts for examining into the expenditure of public money had been agreed upon, and a bill brought in for appointing that commiffion. [Aloud laugh.] Did the people want œconomy?

The bill brought in by a very honourable and ingenious Member (Mr. Burke) was directly tending to that point, fo that the prayer of the Petitions Had in fact been already attended to. As to the motion, he should therefore think it would be very properly got rid of by the question, moved for the Chairman to leave the Chair. The noble Lord spoke very explicitly as to his real fentiments relpecting Government, and faid, however idle he might be, and however defirous to fleep and dofe, he would labour day and night, and endure ten years longer a parliamentary and political war, or bask in the fun, under the fhade of the Indian Manchinele, rather than serve an arbitrary power.

Mr. Fox animadverted with his ufual poignancy on what had fallen from the noble Lord, and faid he never would fit quiet in the Houfe, and hear the noble Lord argue that he had a right to cenfore Oppofition, becaufe Oppofition cenfured him, fince he could have no right to arraign their conduct as men, because they arraigned his conduct as the Minifter, nor would fuffer the noble Lord to proceed any longer with that infolence' which had fo uniformly marked his character.

1

force of reafoning in favour of the motion, and reprobated, in the fevereft terms, the question moved by the Lord Advocate. The Attorney-general oppofed the motion, but with refpect to his learned friend (the Lord Advocate) he did not understand that he meant, when he moved for the Chairman to leave the Chair, that the business should not be refumed at another opportunity. He believed his learned friend did not intend any fuch thing as that of putting an end to the confideration of the Petitions, but that his motion was merely in the nature of a motion to postpone it.

Lord Ongley spoke in a very pointed manner in fupport of the original motion, and feverely animadverted on the Lord Advocate's attempting to get rid of it in fuch a little, low, dirty manner. His Lordship faid, if the Petitions fhould be rejected, he should be ashamed to go down any more to his conftituents; for the allegations they contained ought to be attended to. Mr. Turner spoke to the fame effect, and went into a juftification of Committees of Affociations.

The Lord Advocate faid, he by no means wifhed to put an end to the business; but would rather that it should come on again, at a future opportunity. He would therefore defire to withdraw his motion for the Chairman to leave the chair.

After fome debate, leave was given accordingly; and the Lord Advocate then moved, by way of amendment to the main motion, that there fhould be inferted, after the word Committee, That it is neceffary to declare.' The main queftion was thereupon thus, That it is neceffary to declare, that the influence of the Crown has increased, is increafing, and ought to be diminished.'

Mr. Fox faid, he could have no objection to this amendment; for if Gentlemen fhould think it neceffary to declare it, they would not refufe to fay that the influence of the Crown had increased, and ought to be diminished. The Hon. Gentleman averred, that no former reign whatever had brought fo many diftreffes upon the people as the prefent one; and infifted upon it, that, unless the motion hould be agreed to, not only the Committee, but the Houfe, fhould never fit again.

At twelve o'clock the Committee divided..

Mr. Dunning made his next motion, which was, That it is the opinion of this Committee, that it is competent to this Houfe to examine into and to correct abules in the expenditure of the Civil Lift revenues, as well as in every other branch of the public revenue, whenever it fhall feem expedient to the wisdom of this House fo to do."

Lord North expreffed his wifhes very ftrongly, that the Committee would not go on.

Lord George Gordon spoke: after which the question was called for, and the motion was agreed to without a divifion.

Hon. T. Pitt made the third motion in the Committee, which was, That it 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 complained of in the Petitions, prefented to this Houfe, from the different counties, cities, and towns in this kingdom.'

Lord North again implored the House not to proceed. No other objection being made to the motion, it paffed unanimously.

It was then moved by Mr. Fox, for the said refolutions to be immediately reported to the Houfe, which was oppofed by Lord North, as violent, arbitrary, and unufual, but was, notwithwithstanding, agreed to by the Houfe; and Mr. Huffey reported accordingly, that the Committee had come to the faid refolutions feverally. It was then refolved by the House,

That this report be now received. The report was then made by Mr. Huffey, and read the first and fecond time, and agreed to by the Houfe, and then the Houfe adjourned.

Thursday, April 13.

Upon the fecond reading of Mr. Crewe's bill for difqualifying Officers of the revenue from voting at elections for Members of Parliament, Lord North rofe and informed the House, that, if a motion fhould be then made for committing the bill, he believed it would be oppofed, and therefore he thought it fair to mention it; for, if it fhould lead the House into a debate, it might interfere with the order of the day for bringing up the report of the Committee on the Petitions. This he faid with a view, if any Gentleman might call for the order of the day, and move the poftponing the further progrefs of the bill.

Mr. Crewe thanked the noble Lord for his candour, and then, with great delicacy, addreffed himself to the Speaker, declaring,

declaring, that if his ftate of health made him apprehenfive of a very late fitting, from the order of the day coming on afterwards, he would wave the motion for the commitment of his bill; but the Speaker, declining all confiderations of himself, defired him to proceed, and he would go on with bufinefs as long as he could. Mr. Crewe then moved, that the bill be committed, affigning as a reafon, that it was in fact connected with the refolution of the Committee of Thursday laft on the Petitions; for it was one of the means to diminish the influence of the Crown, which was the object of the refolution, and therefore might very properly be debated before the report from that Committee. He had no idea, he faid, of any oppofition to the bill, after the Committee had refolved, that the influence of the Crown had increased, and is increafing, and ought to be diminished.

Mr. Jenkinfon opened the oppofition, by declaring that he fhould vote against committing the bill, upon conftitutional principles; for he could not conceive that the House could in juftice disfranchise a large body of people, and rob them of one of the best privileges of an Englishman, merely upon a fufpicion that, bedaufe they held offices under the Government, they must be under the influence of the Crown. He stated the very material difference between coming to any refolutions refpecting themfelves, with a view to preferving the independency of Parliament, and voting away the rights of the fubjects out of doors.

Mr. Townshend, to fhew the miniAterial influence the Officers of the reve nue are under, mentioned an infance of the borough of Rye, which had been reprefented through three generations, from father to fon, by the refpectable family of Admiral Norris; but the prefent Ġentleman of that name was thrown out by the votes of the Cuftom-Houfe or Excife Officers; to whom another candidate was recommended by the Minifter; and of the 23 votes 19 are Cuftom-House Officers. He denied any inftance to be produced of a Cuftom-Houfe Officer dareing to vote contrary to the mandate of a Minifter.

The Sollicitor general declared it to be against all precedent, and an act which the Houfe could by no means justify.

Mr. Fox called upon the learned Gen tleman to produce fome better measure to diminish the influence of the Crown,

which the Houfe had refolved was tod great. Something must be done to fatisfy the people that they were not trifled with, and that Parliament was not to be diffolved before their Petitions are anfwered.

Mr. Burke called upon thofe who had joined in the refolution to fupport the bill, as a point of honour to which they flood engaged. But, fhould it be rejected, he faid, they were all united to a man; his learned friend (Mr. Dunning) would furnish other propofitions, and the noble Lord in the blue ribbon would find they were not a rope of fand; he faid fome things very fevere against the noble Lord.

At ten o'clock the Houfe divided, when there appeared for the bill

195 Against it 226

Majority Friday, April 14.

31

The order of the day for making up the report from the Committee that fat on the Petitions on Monday laft, having been moved for, and read, Mr. Dunning begged to know from the Speaker, if his health was in in fuch a ftate as would render it painful for him to fit out the debate; if it was, he was fure the House would make no difficulty to adjourn.

The Speaker then rofe, and with much emotion informed the House, that he had one favour to request on his own account. When he had the honour to be first feated in the Chair, his strength and fpirits were as great and as good as he could wish; he was forry to inform the Houfe, that they were now gone. He was worn out in the fervice of his country; and wished for retirement. He had very many thanks to return to the House for the kind attention and fupport he had always experienced from them; and to the two able Officers (the Clerks) who had affifted him in the dif charge of laborious duties of his station. His Phyfician had told, and he felt it neceffary himself, that retirement was abfolutely for him; he therefore was under the painful neceffity of requesting that the Houfe would give him leave to refign his Chair.

A general filence followed his fpeech; which was at last broke bý

Lord John Cavendish, who expreffed his hearty concern at what he had just heard; and hoped that the Speaker would reconfider the matter, and try whether his

health

health might be fo far reftored in fome time, as to enable him to pursue the duties of his office; if, however, he should perfevere in his intention to refign, he would immediately make a motion, to which there would not be, he was fure, a fingle diffentient voice in the Houfe. His Lordship most likely meant a motion for a vote of thanks, and reward for his long fervices.

Lord North addrefied the Speaker in the following manner: Sir, when I moved that you fhould fill that Chair in which you have prefided with fo much honour to yourself, I had in view the great good that might be derived from your eminent abilities, which gave you that weight which is neceffary for one who prefides over fuch an affembly as this. My views were not difappointed: your abilities, as a Speaker, were all I fuppofed them to be, and this House, nay, the nation at large, have reaped the benefits arifing from them. At the fame time, Sir, I moved that you should be elected our Speaker, your health was found, and your spirits high; it is a melancholy information to this Houfe, that they are both exhausted. Sir, there cannot, I am fure, be a requeft that you can make of this Houfe, which we will not be all most ready to grant; but, Sir, the request you have made is of fuch a nature, that no man can agree to it without regret. Let me therefore request, Sir, that you will reconfider the matter: try what a little recefs may do for the reeftablishment of your health, and let us receive what you have faid to us rather as what you may perhaps hereafter be obliged to do by the bad state of your health, than as what you mean to execute at prefent. We can adjourn over for a few days, and by your fire fide you may take that care of your health, which may tend to preserve or reftore it. With your leave then, Sir, I will move that this House do adjourn to Wednesday next.

The Speaker faid, fome time before the laft recefs he was attacked by a violent cough, which the faculty pronounced to be a gouty cough; that, on the firit meeting after Ealter, an attention to the duties of his office occafioned him to relapfe into the fituation from which, through a fhort fufpenfion from bufinefs, he had fome reason to flatter himself with the hopes of recovery; that he had fince felt a conftant pain on one fide of his head, which his Phyfician had that morning pronounced to be the gout, inform

ing him at the fame time that it would be inconsistent to expect the favourable operation of medicine, whilst he was under the neceffity of attending the Houfe.

Various expedients were propofed, none of which met the opinion of the Houfe fo much as that the House should adjourn to Monday fe'nnight.

Mr. Eden obferved the American Exportation Bill was to be returned from the Lords on Monday, with alterations ; and if the bill was not paffed, the fleet would be prevented failing, the property of the Merchants would confequently fuffer immenfe injury, and many thousands of perfons would be disappointed of a fupply of the neceffaries and conveniencies of life.

After fome converfation on this subject, Lord North propofed a Bill of Indemnity, and Treasury Warrants to justify the failing of the fleet; and the question being put for an adjournment to Monday fe'nnight, it was carried, and the Houfe adjourned.

HOUSE OF LORD S.

Friday, April 14.

THE common bufinefs of the day being over, the Duke of Bolton role, and moved, That the bill, intitled a bill for the exclufion of Contractors from the Lower House of Parliament, be read a fecond time and committed.'

Lord Stormont opened the debate on this fubject in a very elaborate speech. He fet out with afierting the conftitutional right of that Houle to interpole in all questions of national importance, even if they had the misfortune to be proceeding in direct oppofition to the declared fentiments of another part of the Legiflature. The House of Commons had fent this bill up to them; but were they thereby bound to refign every exercife of their own judgment, or under any compulfion to approve? They had the right of difcuffion, and that right he was determined to exert, without an eye to any collateral circumftance whatever. The grand objection, amongst many others, which he had to the bill in queftion, confifted in this, that he disliked its original principle-it was built upon conjectures that were cruel in the firft inftance, and unproved in the fecond. What authority had they to pronounce upon characters, the nature of which they had given themselves no trouble to inveltigate, or to inflict actual punishment, without the leaft fhadow of testimony

that