XXV. 1775. CHA P. increased taxes, heavy poor's-rates, rents fallen, an exhaufted exchequer, and a diminished revenue, as inevitable confequences of the meafures purfued by adminiftration. Famine muft alfo neceffarily enfue, from the difcontinuance of the vast fupply of bread-corn derived from America. In that cafe all the military force of the kingdom would be requifite to keep the people in due restraint, as was fully demonftrated during the fcarcity in 1766. The miniftry were generally challenged to difcufs the principles of the bill, although an immediate decifion was profeffedly not required. The laws propofed to be repealed were analyfed with great feverity, particularly thofe of the laft feffion. Nor was the probability of foreign interference omitted; and the miniftry were cautioned against trufting to the affurances of their inveterate enemies. A MORE moderate party, confifting of the duke of Manchester, earl Temple, and lord Lyttleton, difapproved many parts of the bill, but deprecated its fudden rejection, as an unneceffary infult to an exalted character. Lord Temple attributed all the evils and diftractions to the fatal repeal of the ftamp act; and the laws of the laft feffion were more exceptionable in mode than matter. Lord Lyttleton voted against the rejection of the bill, yet differed in many refpects from Lord Chatham, particularly on the fubject of the Quebec act, against the repeal of which he ftrenuoufly contended. In the courfe of the debate much personal altercation arofe. The duke of Richmond animadverted with great feverity on lord Gower; and lord Chatham, in arguing lord Sandwich's motion, uttered a tremendous philippic against the whole administration. He began with his quondam colleague in office, and very humble fervant, the duke of Grafton, on whofe logic he defcanted with great feverity. Could he be more justly charged with hurrying the bufinefs into the houfe, or his grace with hurrying it out? America 181 XXV. 1775. was declared in rebellion; eleven days had elapfed CHA P. fince his last motion, and no measure had yet been proposed by any of the king's fervants. "Even now," he said, "if they will affure me they have a plan to offer, I will give them a proof of candour they do not deserve, by inftantly withdrawing my bill." The indecent attempt to ftifle the measure in embryo would not fink it in oblivion; it would make its way to the public, to the nation, to the remoteft wilds of America, it would be coolly investigated, and appreciated by its merits or demerits alone. "I am not aftonished," he continued, "that men who hate, fhould deteft those who prize liberty; or that those who want, fhould perfecute those who poffefs virtue. I could demonftrate, were I fo difpofed, that the whole of your political conduct has been one continued feries of weaknefs, temerity, defpotifm, ignorance, futility, negligence, blundering, and the most notorious fervility, incapacity, and corruption. On reconfideration I must allow you one merit, a strict attention to your own interefts: in that view you appear found statesmen, and able politicians. You well know, if the present measure should prevail, you must instantly relinquish your places. I doubt much whether you will be able to keep them on any terms: but fure I am, fuch are your well-known characters and abilities, that any plan of reconciliation, however moderate, wife, and feasible, must fail in your hands. Who then can wonder, that you should negative any measure, which muft annihilate your power, deprive you of your emoluments, and at once reduce you to that ftate of infignificance for which God and nature defigned you." THE earls of Gower and Hillsborough warmly re- Reply of probated these intemperate animadverfions as the refult minifters, of a factious defign to embarrass government, and obtain undue popularity; great industry would doubtlefs be employed in circulating the bill, and inflaming the public mind, both in England and America. To N 3 talk XXV. 1775. It CHAP. talk of three millions of Americans in arms was a grofs exaggeration, the whole population did not exceed that amount; one-third, at least, would submit, and deducting from the remainder, the aged, the infants, and the females, his lordship's facts would be found no more correct than his arguments. would be fufficiently early to answer general charges, when fo pointed as to call for defence or explanation : but lord Gower obferved, the perfons cenfured only fhared the fate of all other adminiftrations he ever remembered; lord Chatham having uniformly condemned, though he afterwards acted with them, and if his age did not form an impediment, he would probably give on the prefent occafion, one more proof of verfatility, by loudly efpoufing the mcafures he now fo loudly condemned. 3d Jan. to 26th. Petitions in LORD SANDWICH's motion was carried, and that for bringing in the bill rejected “. MEANWHILE the papers fubmitted to the house of commons were referred to a committee, and numerous favour of the petitions offered on American affairs from great merAmericans. cantile cities and towns, praying parliament to defift from thofe proceedings which occafioned the American affociation fo prejudicial to commerce. Debate on the London petition. On the first petition from the merchants of London, a ftrenuous debate arofe on a propofition to refer it to a committee on the twenty-feventh of January, the day after that appointed for confidering the papers. Much acrimony was displayed in arraigning the conduct of minifters, and much ridicule thrown on the Referred to a propofed committee, which Mr. Burke humorously committee. termed a Coventry committee, and a committee of oblivion. The queftion was however carried, and all the enfuing petitions, together with one from Bir d 61 to 32. e The American merchants in London prefented two; Bristol the fame number, Glafgow, Norwich, Liverpool, Manchefter, Birmingham, Wolverhamptor, Dudley, and feveral other places in Great Britain and Ireland, fent petitions, as d various bodies of merchants intérested in the great objects of difpute. f 197 to 81. mingham XXV. 1775. mingham of a contrary tendency, were fubmitted to CHAP. the fame committée. The merchants of London difpleafed by this reference, withdrew their petitions, declaring themselves under no apprehenfions refpecting their American debts, unless the means of remittance fhould be cut off by measures adopted in Great Britain. 26th Jan. and others. DR. FRANKLIN, and Meffrs. Bollan and Lee, who 25th and were authorized by the continental congrefs to prefent Petition of their petition to the king, alfo prayed to be examined Dr. Franklin at the bar, in fupport of that paper which they were enabled to elucidate. In debating this requeft, it was infifted on one fide, that compliance would lead to inextricable confufion, and destroy the whole colonial government. It would explicitly fanction the congrefs, which was not a legal meeting, and recognize the parties making the application, who were not, in fact, legally appointed. On the other, it was contended that the congrefs, however illegal for other purposes, were fully competent to this: the petition was figned by the members: it might be received as from them in their individual capacity, and the equity of the houfe fhould rather lead to the adoption of plausible reasons for receiving, than the invention of pretences for rejecting fuch papers; the practice of difmiffing petitions and declining the examination of agents would establish an opinion, that those who refused to hear complaints, abdicated the rights of government, and thus naturally lead to univerfal rebellion. The introduction of the petition was not per- Rejected, mitted h Committee IN a committee of the whole houfe, on the papers 2d Feb. from America, lord North re-argued the cuftomary on the Ame topics of parliamentary fupremacy, the propriety of rican papers. American contribution, and lightnefs of the taxes It was infifted by oppofition that this counter-petition was unfairly obtained by minifterial influence, and not figned by perfons really interested in the American trade. h 218 to 68. N 4 hitherto XXV. 1775.. an addrefs. CHA P. hitherto impofed, which did not amount to more than fixpence a year on each individual. Then, denouncing the confederacy against importation as the cause of the prefent feparation, he unfolded his plan of coercion, which was, to fend to America a larger military force, and by a temporary act, to stop the foreign commerce of New England, and their fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, till they returned to their duty; declaring whenever the event took place, their real grievances fhould, on proper application, be redreffed. Motion for His motion was for an addrefs, thanking the king for the communication of papers; affirming the province of Maffachufet's Bay to be in rebellion; declaring the refolution of the houfe, not to relinquifh any part of the fovereign authority, vefted by law in his majefty and the two houfes, over every branch of the empire; and profeffing their conftant readiness to pay attention to the grievances of the fubject, when prefented in a dutiful and conftitutional manner. The king was requested to take effectual measures for enforcing obedience to the laws and authority of the fupreme legiflature, and in the most folemn manner affured of their fixed refolution, at the hazard of their lives and property, to fupport him against all rebellious attempts, in the maintenance of his juft rights and thofe of the two houses. Amendment moved. THE debate, though spirited and vehement, afforded little novelty; and no other intereft than appertained to the importance of the fubject. Mr. Fox moved an amendment, cenfuring the miniftry, for having rather inflamed than healed differences, and praying for their removal. He expatiated on the injuftice, inexpediency, and folly of the motion, prophefying defeat in America, ruin and punishment at home. MR. DUNNING denied the existence of rebellion, but was fully anfwered by Mr. Thurlow. The character of the Americans, their religious enthusiasm and inaptitude for arms, were difcuffed with more. vehemence than judgment. Captain Luttrell pointed out |