no time do we remember the confidence of the people in government fo low, as it appears to have been at that period. O&. 12th. The parliament of Ireland met before the 1779. middle of October, and foon fhewed that they had received a portion of the general fpirit of the nation. They declared in their addrefies to the throne, that nothing less than a free and unlimited trade could fave that country from ruin. The addreffes were carried up with great parade amidst the acclamations of the people. The duke of Lein. fter, who commanded the Dublin volunteers, escorted the fpeaker in perfon upon that occafion; whilft the streets were lined on both fides, from the parliament houfe to the caftle, by that corps, drawn up in their arms and uniforms. That nobleman had alfo moved for the thanks of the Lords to the volunteer corps throughout the kingdom, which was carried with only one diffenting voice. The affociations and people at large, full of anger and jealoufy, manifefted ftrong apprehenfions of political duplicity on this fide of the water; and perhaps, did not place a perfect confidence in the fteadiness or perfeverance of their own parliament. They were afraid, that they would be amufed by fair and empty promifes, until they had refigned their power along with the national purfe, by granting the fupplies for the two following years, according to the customary mode in that country; when being no longer neceflary to government, a fudden prorogation would put an end to all hope of, at least, amicable redress, for the prefent. Under this apprehenfion, a fhort money bill, for fix months only, by which means parliament would ftill continue indifpenfably neceffary to government, became the general cry of the nation. As this innovation upon eftablithed form and method, was ftrongly oppofed, particularly by the court party, the Dublin mob thought it neceffary to fhew their zeal in the public caufe; they were accordingly guilty of great and violent outrages, as well in their endeavours to enforce the meafure, as in their punishment of the refractory. Although the Irish parliament ufed proper meafures to exprefs their refentment, and to maintain their dignity upon this occafion; yet many of themfelves being inclined to a vigorous proceeding, and the reft borne down by a cry almost univerfal in the nation, the reprefentatives found it at length neceffary to comply, and the fhort money bill was accordingly paffed on that fide. A neceffity equally convincing, fecured the paffage of that humiliating and mortifying act in England. It feemed remarkable, especially in a feafon of fo much difficulty and trouble, that the office of fecretary of State for the northern department, fhould have continued vacant for fo great a length of time, as that which elapfed from the death of the Earl of Suffolk in the beginning of the preceding month of March. Nor did the diffenfions among themfelves produce any new arrangement in administration, until the approach of the meeting of par liament, It was the received opinion at that time, that this defection of thofe who formerly compofed what has been called the Bedford party (which had a confiderable time before been preceded by the falling off of the Earl of Upper Offory, and others, to the oppofition) would now have become general. But the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Rigby continued in their places; and it would feem, from fubfe. quent appearances, as if measures had been fince taken to qualify in fome degree that difguft, which then operated on fome others. liament, when their effect became and beftowed upon the Earl of confpicuous, and continued to Carlisle. operate for fome time longer. Just at that period, the Earl of Gower, Lord prefident of the council, reNov. 2 th. figned that high office, and was fucceeded by the Earl of Bathurft. Lord Weymouth likewife refigned his office of fecretary of ftate for the fouthen department, and was fucceeded by the Earl of Hillibo. rough. Lord Stormont, late ambailador at Paris, was appointed to the northern department; the bufinefs of which had been conducted by Lord Weymouth, fince the death of the Earl of Suffolk. And the old place of first lord of trade and plantations, which had been abforbed and included in the new office of fecretary of state for the colonies, was now feparated, Such was in general the state of public affairs, previous to, and about the time of the meeting of parliament. CHA P. III. Speech from the throne. Addreffes. Amendment moved in the House of Commons by Lord John Cavendish. Great Debates. Strictures upon public measures in general, and upon the conduct of the preceding campaign. Able defence made by the minifter. Amendment rejected upon a divifion. Amendment in the House of Lords moved for by the Marquis of Rockingham. After long debates, rejected upon a divifion. U NDER the circumftances which we have defcribed, it seemed no easy matter to determine what ground to choose, in framing a fpeech for the opening of parliament. This feafon of the year had generally been peculiarly favourable fince the commencement of the troubles, in the production of fome intelligence, which might ferve to bring minifters and parliament together with a face of good humour; and which might warrant in fome measure the hold ing out of fuch a degree of expectation with refpect to the war, and fuch a profpect of the attainment of its firft and principal object at no very great distance, as afforded encouragement to perseverance, and inducement to prefent liberality of fupport. But the prefent feafon was not fortunate in this respect; and the profpect of affairs at the opening. of the feffion, feemed fcarcely to afford more room for hope, than the retrospect did for exultation. [C] 3 In In thefe circumftances, the judicious arrangement of the matter could only fupply its defects in the conftruction of the fpeech. It was neceffary to keep back thofe parts which were difgufting, and only to bring thofe forward which might be difpofed of to fome advantage. Lofs or misfortune were therefore properly paffed over; and an escape from imminent danger, afforded fufficient matter of fatisfaction, if not of triumph. In a failure of active exertion, it became the more neceffary to hold out to the people, a full confidence in that defenfive ftrength arifing from their common union; and where a recital of particular events could not admit of much happy application, it was to be judiciously evaded, by taking a wider field upon general ground. Nov. 25th. The fpeech from the throne accordingly. 1779. opened with an obfervation, that being attacked by, an, unjust and unprovoked war, and contending with one of the moft dangerous confederacies that ever was formed against the crown and people of Great Britain, they were called upon by every principle of duty, and every confideration of intereft, to exert their united efforts in the fupport and defence of their country.-That, although the defigns and attempts of our enemies to invade this kingdom had been hitherto fruftrated, they fill menaced us with great armaments and preparations; but it was trufted, that we were well prepared to meet every attack, and to repel every infult. His majefty knew the character of his brave people; the menaçes of their enemies, and the approach of danger, had no other effect on their minds, than to animate their courage, and to call forth that national fpirit, which had fo often defeated the projects of ambition and injuftice; and which had enabled the British fleets and armies, to uphold and preferve the liberties of Europe, from the restless and encroaching power of the house of Bourbon. The ftate of Ireland, they were informed, had not been unattend-, ed to. In confequence of their former addreffes, the neceffary papers would be laid before them; and it was recommended, that they fhould confider what further benefits and advantages might be extended to that kingdom, by fuch regulations and methods, as might, moft effectually, promote the common ftrength, wealth, and interefts of all the dominions. A total filence was observed with refpect to America and the Weft Indies; nothing that related to either was even alluded to. The circumftances of the war, and the events of the campaign, in whatever part, were equally paffed over. The inevitable great and heavy expences of the enfuing year were regretted; but the ufual reliance placed on their wisdom and public fpirit for the neceffary fupplies.-The difcipline, good conduct, and fteady perfeverance of the militia, was acknowledged with entire approbation.-Thanks were returned to all ranks of loyal fubjects who had flood forth in this arduous conjuncture, and by their zeal, their influence, and their perfonal fervice, had given confidence as well as ftrength to the national defence. And the fpeech concluded by declaring a firm refolution to profecute the war with vigour, and to make every exertion, in order to compel our enemies to liften to equitable terms of peace and accommodation. An addrefs, in the ufual ftile and form, was moved for and feconded in the Houfe of Commons by the Lords Lewitham and Parker.-An amendment to the follow ing purport was moved for by Lord John Cavendish, viz. to befeech his majefty to reflect upon, the extent of territory, the power, the opulence, the reputation abroad, and the concord at home, which diftinguifhed the opening of his majefty's reign, and marked it as the moft fplendid and happy period in the hiftory of this nation; and on the endangered, impoverished, enfeebled, diftracted, and even difmembered ftate of the whole, after all the grants of fucceffive parliaments, liberal to profufion, and trafting to the very utmoft extent of rational confidence; that his majefty will naturally expect to receive the honeft opinion of a faithful and affectionate parliament, who would betray his majefty, and thofe whom they reprefent, if they did not diftinctly state to his majefty, that if any thing can prevent the confummation of public ruin, it can only be new counfels and new counsellors, without farther lofs of time, and a real change, from a fincere conviction of paft errors, and not a mere palliation, which muft prove fruitless. As the amendment propofed in the House of Lords, was fubftaritially the fame with that which we have stated, we fhall indifferently bring into one point of view, the principal arguments used in nion, which unite mankind; a fyftem which had already been fubverfive, in a very unhappy degree, of the national honour and character, and which tended ulti-, mately to the diffolution of the conftitution, if not of the government of this country. This unhappy fyftem, they faid, however, artfully covered, and how ever invifible its authors, had not efcaped obfervation at its introduction, any more than in its pro grefs. It had been feen, with the deepest concern, from about the year 1763, to the prefent time, that however the inftruments were changed, however appearances varied, however the mode was occafionally fhifted, or whatever temporary interruptions occurred, the fyftem itself never changed its nature, was never out of fight, and was, although with different degrees of exertion, conftantly purfued with the most unremitting perfeverance. This fatal fyftem, they said, had visibly fpread its baleful influence through the army, the navy, the fenate, through every department of the ftate, and through every order of the people; and as its grand and leading prinçiples of action, were, corruption, the deftruction of character, with that wretched and abominable policy, the divide et impera, it was not to be wondered at, that its progrefs fhould be every where marked, by the confution, difcord, and ruin which it produced; by the difgrace which it brought upon our arms, the contempt, ridicule, or execration of mankind, which it had drawn upon our public counfels; by that bitter fpirit of contention and ani mofity which it had generated even in parliament, and what was ftill worie, that unequalled contempt of order, of government, of the laws, and of the legiflature, which it had fpread among the lower ranks of the people. Yet, notwithstanding the irretrievable lofies, and the ftill greater dangers, of which this favourite fyftem had already been productive, it was fill, they faid, fo pertinacioufly adhered to, that the lofs of national renown, with that of half the empire, and the imminent danger of the remainder, were facrifices offered, or hazarded, without fcruple, to its fupport... This fyftem, they said, must be totally done away, or nothing could be effectually done; expe. dients might render things poffibly worfe, but they could not ren der them better. But it would be in vain to hope for any fincere and real change of the fyftem, while its inftruments were fuffered to continue in power.-New counfels, and new counfellors, they contended, contended, were not only now loudly demanded by the nation, but were become a matter of abso lute neceflity with respect to our political exiflence; and the fovereign muft alfo give his confidence to thofe whom he apparently trufts, or it would be delufory to expect, that even new counfels and new counsellors could fucceed. They fummed up the whole by concluding, that it was only from fuch an effectual and total change, that a rational hope could be entertained, even of the prefervation of the ftate in any form; but that nothing lefs could af ford the fhadow of hope, of our |