fuffered, and the very rapid progrefs which the mifchief was daily making, were truly alarming. Much fatisfaction was expreffed, that the evil had already been in a great measure checked, by the regulations made in the last feffion; but it was trufted that they would not ftop here, nor think their duty discharged, without ufing their best endeavours for putting the gold coin upon fuch a footing, as may not only completely remove the prefent grievance, but render the credit and commerce of the kingdom fufficiently fecure from being again expofed to the like danger.

No doubt was entertained that any parts of the public fervice would efcape their attention; but, various and extenfive as these were,a selection of the most important was recommended, for immediate deliberation. No particular supply was demanded or difclaimed; and the ufual declaration was renewed, of a hearty concurrence in every measure that tended to the happinefs or profperity of the people. With regard to America a profound filence was kept.

The addreffes were paffed as ufual, and contained the customary acknowledgments and profeffions. As great merit had been attributed in the fpeech, and acknowledged in the addreffes, to the late regulations of the gold coin, that fubject became a matter of fome animadverfion. There are few matters which have more exercifed the judgment of men versed in commercial affairs, of the most able political calculators, and first-rate mathematicians, or in which they have differed more in opinion, than in what relates to the circulation of every kind of currency, whether in coin or in paper. It is even still a matter of doubt, whether the fubject has ever been thoroughly underflood, or inveftigated upon right principles. This uncertainty, in a matter of fo much importance, and fo critical in its nature, has rendered statesmen in commercial countries, very cautious in all measures that affect the circulating coin, and induces them often, rather to bear with inconveniences, the extent of which they know, than to rifque the unknown confequences of innovation.

By the act of the preceding feffion, the lofs on the diminified gold, (which amounted to an enormous fum) fell upon the immediate poffeffors, and thereby principally affected the great money hold ers, or bankers. It was, however, feverely felt by the public in general, and as it happened at a time, when the commercial and manufacturing part of the nation, were already, from other caufes,

very much diftreffed, and public and private credit at a low ebb, it much increafed the general diforder and confufion, and occafioned great clamour during the recefs. The fudden manner in which it was brought in and hurried through, at the tail of an uncommonly late feffion, contributed to render it still more unpopular; although thofe who cenfured miniftry without doors, did not propofe a better plan. Within the house it was not made a matter of oppofition.

It was acknowledged on all fides, that the most effectual measures were requifite, and had been long wanted, to prevent the fraudulent diminution of the gold coin, an enormity which had been carried to the most dangerous excefs; but the time of the late act, with refpect to the particular circumftances of the commercial and manufacturing part of the nation, and the mode of its operation, as highly oppreffive and injurious to individuals, were ftrongly objected to. It was faid, that the bankers, who are obliged to hold money for others, had received it at its nominal value, upon the public faith, and under the fanation of government; and that it was oppreffive and unjuft, that a particular body of men thus circumftanced, fhould be obliged to make good to the public, the immenfe lofs which they had futtained, not more through the iniquity of thofe who had diminished the gold, than through the remiffness of government, and the flacknefs of the police, in not properly enforcing the laws, until the enormity had fpread to fo dangerous an extent, as to be thought beyond their controul.

On the other hand, the minister was well furnished with means for the defence of his measure. The dangerous extent of the evil was too well known, and the neceffity of a new coinage was not denied. With refpect to the feason of paffing the late act, he the wed the neceffity to have been fo urgent, as not to admit of any delay, and that the paffing it over to another feffion, would have been attended with the most fatal confequences. The charge of injustice he denied: fai that the lofs had fallen where it could beft be borne, upon thofe who had been gainers by the fituation which occafioned it, and who had always profited by the public money. That in fact, it was a tax upon property; but upon that part of property, which was exempt from many others. That if a general tax had been laid to make good the deficiency, it would have been a very heavy charge to the public, and have opened a door for very.

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grofs impofitions, which was actually the cafe upon a fimilar occafe, of the calling in of the filver coin in the reign of King William, by which the nation had been put to an expence of two millions and a half.

The high peace establishment of the navy, and the vast increase of expence in every branch of that department, became a fource of debate in this feffion, as it had in the two preceding. Twenty thousand seamen were again moved for, and the fame caufes repeated for this large number, which were then given. The fleet from the Eaft Indies was not yet returned, and hopes were thrown out, that a reduction of 3,000 feamen would take place upon its arrival. The remaining peace establishment was, however, ftill objected to, as being higher than that which had been fixed at the conclufion of the late war, which itself had been much higher than at any former period. The economy of former adminiftrations, was upon this occafion recalled with praife and regret, and ftrongly contratted with the practice of the prefent times. The abfurdity of keeping up a ruinous, permanent, peace establishment, by way of preparation for unknown and uncertain war, was again expofed; and as the late extraordinary expences, were principally attributed to the ruinous state in which the navy was found in the year 1771, the minifter was called upon to anfwer, in what manner the fupplies which had been granted for the fupport of that establishment, from the year 1763, to the latter period, had been difpofed of; for as the navy had been fuffered to rot, either a fufficiency was not demanded, or the money granted was mifapplied.

On the other hand, a general change of circumstances; the fleet in the East Indies, the Turkish war, floops at Falkland's Inlands, with fome extra fervice in the West Indies, were affigned as the causes, which rendered the propofed num ber of feamen neceffary. As to the queftion that had been propofed with refpect to the application of the former fupplies, the minifter obferved, that he had conducted public affairs, only during three years of the eight which had been fpecified, and that it could not be expected, that he fhould answer or account for the conduct of others. That however, he was pretty certain he could affign the true caufe for the ruinous ftate in which the navy was then found, without fuppofing any mifapplication of the fupplies, or imputing any mifconduct to others any more than to himself; that he be

lieved the great and dangerous defects which were discovered in the year 1771, proceeded merely from the green timber with which fhips were haftily run up towards the conclufion of the late war, when the feafoned timber in the king's docks was exhausted, in confequence of which they rotted in about half their ufual time of wear. He then expatiated largely upon the prefent flourishing and increafing ftate of our marine: faid that the docks were now full of seasoned timber, and that the great fums which had been applied to that fervice, were not merely expended to repair, but to reflore the navy. The motion for 20,000 feamen, was car- Jan. 24th. ried without a divifion; a divifion not having been usual for several years upon a matter of fupply.

Many other debates arose in the fubfequent courfe of the fupplies during the feflion. Though thefe happened at different times as the requifitions were made for the feveral aids; yet the general fubjet being the fame, we shall throw the arguments which were used on the particular heads into one general view. It is to be observed, that feveral articles of the public expence were much higher than ufual, The ordnance was fwelled beyond its healthy fize. The extraordinaries of the army for the preceding year, amounted to 288,000l. The civil lift expences, and fupport of government in fome of the colonies, ran very high. The enormous fum of 444,000l. was granted for the ordinary of the navy, and above 420,000l. towards building, re-building, and repairs.

It was observed and urged with great force, by a member of great knowledge in finance (Mr. Dowdeswell fince deceased) that œconomy was never so neceffary in this country, nor fo little practifed as at prefent. That the land-tax was a fhilling higher than in any other peace establishment, which should naturally raise public credit in proportion; but that we unfortunately find it at a lower ebb than ever, of which no clearer proof is requifite than the prefent price of 3 per cents, which were fome years fince confiderably above 90, and were now fallen to about 86 per cent. That the land and malt tax were now totally fwallowed up by the navy, and the linking fund almoft absorbed by the other supplies, fo that the whole unappropriated revenue was little more than equal to our peace etiablishment; where then were the neceffary funds to be found in cafe of a war?

That it was not fufficient to fay, that

the

the application of certain supplies would be useful or neceffary, the firft object of confideration, was our ability, or inability to provide for them. That former minifters used to fuperfede the neceffity of parliamentary animadverfion, by enquiring themselves minutely into the nature of the fupplies that were demanded, and cutting off such as were fuperfluous, or paring thofe that were redundant. That now, on the contrary, immenfe fums were demanded in the grofs, and granted without account or enquiry.

The careless inattention of the house to fubjects of fuch great importance, was as much complained of and reprehended, as the general profufion of government was thought grievous and ruinous. It was faid to be fhameful and fcandalous, as foon as the fupplies came to be read or debated, to fee fuch univerfal diforder and confufion prevail, fome going out and others talking, as if no matter of confequence was before them, while millions of their conftituents money were paffing away without any examination; That in proportion as our inability increafed, and as if it were thought that no common courfe of profufion could compleat our ruin, new fources of expence feemed industriously, and even at the price of national honour and juftice to be fought after; of which there could not be a more striking inftance, than the expedition, equally unjust and ruinous, which was undertaken against the poor Indians at St. Vincent's. But that if neither prudence in administration, nor a fense of duty and the trust repofed in the reprefentatives, were fufficient to refrain this headlong prodigality, the excess of the evil would in a little time produce its own remedy, as the nation would be found unable to fupport fo ruinous a state of expence.

It was faid, that the navy and admiralty boards had not been able to af fign any fatisfactory reafons for their enormous demands; that their expences were every year increasing, and the excefs of their accounts ftill growing farther beyond their eftimates; that it would therefore be highly fatisfactory, if not neceffary, to appoint a committee previous to the granting of the fupplies, to infpect their accounts, and to report what favings might be made, and whether the prefent demands were neceffary. That though it was readily acknowledged that a formidable navy was effential to the power and fecurity of Great-Britain, and it was as well known, that nothing November, 1775.

could be held out more flattering to the people, nor any other expence which would be fo chearfully borne; yet there must be limits affigned to that, as to all other regulations. That we were not to lay out all we were worth in the building of great fhips, and thereby part with the means of rendering them useful; that we must retain the ability of manning, providing, and fupporting them in action, or they would become the contrary to defence; for however tremendous their looks or number, without thofe effential requifites, they would only prove a lure to our enemies, and a tempting prize to rapacity.

On the other fide, the minifter acknowledged and regretted the heaviness of our burthens, the low ftate of public credit, the neceffity of economy, and the greatnefs of the expence which was now complained of. With refpect to the latter, he hoped, if favourable circumstances occurred, to leffen it for the future; but that the ftate of public expence depended fo much upon thefe, that it must always be variable and uncertain. He withed to reduce the national expence, to leffen the burthens of the people, and to fupport public credit, as much as any of thofe who had expreffed fo much anxiety upon thofe fubjects; but the effect of fuch wishes mult depend upon time, feafon, fituation, and circumftance.

as

as having been wanting to the proper dignity of his ftation; on all which reflections he was likewife filent.

The motion (which was now become annual) for thortening the duration of

parliament, was again repeatFeb. 15th. ed, by the gentleman, Mr.

Sawbridge, who first introduced, and had pledged himself for its renewal in every feffion. This motion produced no debate; but the question being called for, was rejected by a majority, the numbers being 221 againft, to 94 who fupported the question.

On the fame day, Sir George Saville's annual motion relative to the Middlefex election, was alfo renewed, and leave was defired to bring in a bill, for more effectually fecuring the rights of the electors of Great Britain, and to fecure to that houfe the eligibility of perfons to ferve in parliament. This motion brought on a confiderable debate, and produced a clofer divifion than might have been expected. The mover obferved, that he would not recapitulate the arguments which he had formerly stated, as he truft ed, from the importance of the fubject, that the impreffion it had made was not worn out of mind. That he had at pre fent fome glimmering hopes of carrying his queftion; that as the houfe was not now in that heat and ferment which it formerly was, truth had a better chance for prevailing; that the houfe was now in cool deliberation, and he did not doubt, that the question being calmly confidered, might meet with friends who, in times more heated than the prefent, were of another opinion; that this was not a minifterial queftion, it was a queftion of the people at large, and he concluded, by obferving, the unhappy fituation to which they were brought by the late measures, of being confidered as having an intereft diftinct from the people; but that he hoped by an acquiefcence in this motion, it would not be too late to reconcile matters, fo that the people of England and their reprefentatives might not be divided against each other. The question was ably fupported; and oppofed upon the fatne ground we have formerly fhewn. It was rejected upon a divifion in a full houfe, only by a majority of 59; the numbers being 147, to 206.

Motion for rendering the Bill for the trial of controverted Elections perpetual; Strong Oppofition; Debates; the Motion carried by a great Majority. Meffage relative to the Tranfactions in America, American Papers laid before the Houfe,

Petition received from Bollan the Agent. Beflon Port-Bill. Second Petition from Bollan, refufed. Debates. Petition from Several Natives of North-America, refident in London. Great Debates upon the third reading of the Bofton-PortBill. The Bill paffed.

Trial of controverted elections, had by this time appeared evident to the greater part of the nation. The few inftances in which it had hitherto operated, had given great fatisfaction; and it was rightly judged, that no time could be better chofen, for fecuring to the people this palladium of their liberties, by rendering the law perpetual, than while the enormities which attended the former mode of deciding upon elections, and the benefits arifing from the prefent, were contrafted to the view, and fresh upon the memory. The popularity of the fubject, and the equity of the principles upon which the law was founded, feemed a fecurity against any violent oppofition.

HE utility of the late act for the

Notwithstanding these fa

vourable appearances, the Feb. 25th. motion for rendering the Grenville bill perpetual met with a confiderable oppofition, which was rendered the more formidable, by the minister's appearing at its head. It was contended, that the bill in question was intended, at the time of palling, and even by its framer, only as temporary and experimental; that though perhaps the particular infiances in which it had hitherto operated might appear in its favour, no conclufion could from thence be drawn of its general effect, until, at least, a general election took place; and that when that experience was obtained, the bill would live or die by its own merits.

But that poffibly in that trial, which could alone perfectly delineate its nature, or effects, it might be found incumbered with many evils or inconveniencies, which could not now be eafily foreseen. That its operation with refpect to county elections was not yet fufficiently understood; that in fuch cafes, where it frequently happens that fome hundreds of witneffes are to be examined on both fides, and perplexed complicated questions on the right of voting, in a great number of inftances to be fcrutinized and decided upon, a committee could fcarcely go through the bufinefs of a fingle county in a feffion; and that when a number of thefe, with a much greater of boroughs, were thrown at once upon their hands,

the