was a Dictator here after the fufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Act in his reign. Should the present Bill for the suspension of that act pass into a law, I fhall regard the noble Lord with the blue ribband as the modern Dictator of this great empire, as poffeffed of the most ample and defpotic powers. The first important act of public bufinefs in the Roman Dictator was to name his coadjutor in office, the Magifter Equitum, or General of Horfe. If public gratitude has any weight with the Dictator here, [ am fure for fuch an office he will immediately fix his eyes on the § noble Lord at his right hand, who, to his immortal honour, with great and invincible courage, advanced and charged the enemies of our country at the head of the British horfe. In one particular respecting the Dictator of ancient times, I defire to fet right a very high Law-Officer among us. All the Roman magiftrates were not, as he says, fuperfeded by that creation. The Tribunes of the People, but they alone, preferved their authority, even under a Dictator.

It

Lord George Germaine, in 1759 Lord George Sackville.

Attorney-General, Edward Thurlow, Efq; Mem ber for Tamworth.

( 173 )

It has been faid, fir, by another gentleman, who is likewife in a great Law-Office, that in this House a difcontented party have ridiculously given into a tone of Prophecy, which has never been accomplished, and that particularly about a year ago it was the cafe of the Right Honorable Gentleman, who spoke lately under the gallery. It is not I believe very parliamentary to quote words spoken in a former debate. But if that member's memory goes to a prophecy of one year, which has not been fulfilled, he will permit mine a fair excurfion to another Prophecy of his own, fix years ago, which has been exacly verified. His Proplety in this House was, that if the violent measures against the Americans were perfifted in, the colonies, which formed fo great a firength to this kingdom in the reign of George II, would be diffevered from the British empire in the reign of George III. No Prophecy, fir, ever received a more perfect accomplishment. This gentleman won

won

Solicitor-General, Alexander Wedderburne, Efq;

Member for Okehampton.

As for Mr. Wedderburne, there is something about bim, which even treachery cannot trust.

Junius, vol. 2. p, 185,

derfully poffeffes the fecond fight of his native country. How deeply criminal he and others have been in the bringing his Prophecy to pafs, I hope this House will one day enquire..

A very extraordinary obfervation of the fame gentleman in the prefent debate, amidft a variety of heterogeneous matter, it is impoffible for me not to mention. He has laughed at universal benevolence, and endeavoured to demonftrate the impoffibility of its existence. But, fir, he has only given us the narrow, contracted, felfish ideas of his own heart, and his own *country. His fentiments and his feelings are confined to a very small infignificant circle indeed. They are merely Clannifh and Scottish. His remarks I faw excited a general indignation in this House. An Englishman has ideas infinitely more liberal and enlarged. His heart expands itself, and takes in the general good and profperity of mankind. It feels

We must be converfant with the Scots in private life, and observe their principles of acting to us, and to each other ;--- the characteristic prudence, the selfish nationality, the indefatigable fmile, the perfevering affiduity, the everlafting profeffion of a difcreet and moderate refentment.

Junius. Preface, p. 25.

feels not the rancour, and difdains the injuftice, of fuch a cruel, perfecuting Bill, as the object of this day's debate. It forms the warmest wishes for the liberty and happiness of every individual of this late flourishing empire. Univerfal benevolence, and a generous fpirit of humanity, have been no lefs the characteristics of the inhabitants of the Southern parts of this inland, than that good-nature, for which foreigners have not even a name. I will only add, fir, that I think the most beautiful fentence of all antiquity is that, which was received with such applaufe by the generous and free Roman people, and an English senate will furely adopt against every measure of oppreffion and cruelty, home fum, humani nihil à me alienum puto,

THE

THE PROTEST OF

THE EARL OF ABINGDON,

Entered February 24, 1777,

On the JOURNALS of the Houfe of Lords.

Diffentient,

FIRST, Because I look upon this Bill,

not only as a part of that fyftem of ColonyGovernment, fo inimical to Civil Liberty, fo repugnant to the first and fundamental principles of the Conftitution, fo ruinous in its measures, fo fhocking to humanity, and fo averse from that now exploded virtue of univerfal benevolence, but because I fee herein that fyftem coming home to OURSELVES, and with

hafty