The oppofition in the Houfe of Lords was equally unavailing. The bill was, however, accompanied with a strong proteft; but the moft remarkable circumstance attending it, was the speech made by the Speaker of the Houfe of Commons to his Majefty, on prefenting it a few days afterwards for the royal affent. "In a time, SIRE," faid he, "of public diftrefs, full of difficulty and danger, their Constituents laboring under burdens almoft too heavy to be borne, your faithful Commons, poftponing all other bufinefs, have not only granted to your Majefty a large present supply, but also a very great additional revenue, great beyond example, great beyond your Majefty's higheft expence; but all this, SIRE, they have done in the well-grounded confidence, that you will apply wifely what they have granted liberally." The countenance of the King plainly indicated how little acceptable was this unexpected liberty. On the return of the Speaker and the attendant Members, the thanks of the Houfe were nevertheless immediately voted him; yet not without exciting the fecret and acrimonious refentment of the King's friends, or Prerogative party; one of whom, Mr. Rigby, took occafion in a fubfequent debate to arraign the conduct of the Speaker with unufual vehemence, as conveying little less than an infult on the King, and as equally mireprefenting the fenfe of Parliament,

and

and the state of the Nation. The fentiments delivered at the bar of th other House, he said, were not those of the House of Commons; he for one totally difclaimed them; and he had no doubt but the majority of the Houfe thought with him. The Speaker appealed to the vote of thanks which had been paffed, as a proof that he had not been guilty of the mifreprefentation imputed to him; and the Minifter, uneafy at the altercation, intimated his wish that the subject might not be farther difcuffed. But Mr. Fox, immediately rifing, declared, that a ferious and direct charge having been brought, the question was now at iffue. Either the Speaker had mifrepresented the fenfe of the House, or he had not. He fhould therefore, in order to bring this question to a proper and final decifion, move, that the Speaker of the House, in his speech to his Majefty at the bar of· the House of Peers, did exprefs with just and proper energy the fentiments of this Houfe." The Speaker himself declared," that he would fit no longer in that Chair than he was fupported in the free exercife of his duty. He had discharged what he conceived to be his duty, intending only to exprefs the fenfe of the Houfe; and from the vote of approbation with which he had been honored, he had reafon to believe, he was not chargeable with any mifreprefentation." The Minifters now found themfelyes involved in a moft unplea

fnat

fant dilemma, and in preffing terms recommended the withdrawment of the motion. This being pofitively refufed, Mr. Rigby moved for the House to adjourn. But the House appearing evidently fenfible of the degradation which its dignity muft fuftain from any affront offered to the Chair, he at length thought fit in fome degree to concede; and profeffed, "that he meant no reflection upon the character of the Speaker, but that what he had faid was the mere expreffion of his private opinion, and the result of that freedom of speech which was the right and privilege of every Member of that Houfe, without refpect of perfons; and that, if what he had advanced was not agreeable to the fenfe of that Houfe, he would readily withdraw his motion of adjournment:" which being done, Mr. Fox's motion was unanimoufly carried; and, to complete the triumph, the thanks of the Houfe to the Speaker for his conduct in this affair were also moved, and agreed to without oppofi

tion.

The feffion being now near its clofe, Lord Chatham, unwilling that it fhould pass over without fome public teftimony of his unutterable abhorrence of the war which now diftracted and convulfed the empire, and of the principles and conduct of thofe men whofe weak and wicked counfels had involved the nation in its prefent calamities, attended the Houfe of Peers on the 30th of

May;

May, wrapped in flannels, and bearing a crutch in each hand. At the risk of his health, and perhaps of his life, this great Statesman presented himfelf thus oppreffed with infirmities, for the purpose of moving their Lordships, who had been previoufly fummoned, "That an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, moft humbly to advise his Majefty to take the most speedy and effectual measures for putting a stop to the present unnatural war against the Colonies, upon the only just and folid foundation, namely, the removal of accumulated grievances." His Lordship said, that he had at different times made different propofitions, adapted to the circumstances in which they were offered. The plan contained in the former bill was at this time, he confeffed, impracticable. "The present motion will open the way for treaty. It will be the harbinger of peace, and will convince the Americans, that Parliament is fincerely dif pofed to reconciliation. We have tried for unconditional fubmiffion-let us now try what can be gained by unconditional redress. The door of mercy has been hitherto fhut against them; you have ranfacked every corner of Germany for boors and ruffians to invade and ravage their country; for to conquer it, my Lords, is impoffible-you CANNOT do it. I may as well pretend to drive them before me with THIS CRUTCH. I am experienced in fpring hopes and vernal promises, but

at

at laft will come your equinoctial disappointment. But were it practicable by a long continued course of fuccefs to conquer America, the holding it in fubjection afterwards will be utterly impoffible. No benefit can be derived from that country to this, but by the good will and pure affection of the inhabitants: this is not to be gained by force of arms; their affection is only to be recovered by reconciliation and juftice. If Minifters are founded in faying, that no engagements are entered into by America with France, there is yet a moment left; the point of honor is ftill fafe; a few weeks may decide our fate as a nation. Were America fuffered to form a treaty with France, we should not only lofe the immenfe advantages refulting from the vast and increasing commerce of our Colonies, but thofe advantages would be thrown into the hands of our hereditary enemy. America, my Lords, is now contending with Great Britain under a MASKED BATTERY of France, which will open as fhe perceives this country to be fufficiently weakened by the conteft. France will not lofe fo fair an opportunity of separating for ever America from this kingdom. This is the critical moment-for fuch a treaty muft and will take place, fhould pacification be delayed and war between England and France is not the lefs probable becaufe profeffions of amity continue to be made. It would be folly in

France