motion was then put, and paffed without any divifion; whereupon he moved, "That Mr. Connolly do attend the lords with the faid refolution, and acquaint them, that this house requests them to appoint members of their own body to join with the members of the commons in prefenting the faid addrefs." This alfo paffed without any divifion; and Mr. Connolly went up to the lords accordingly. The meflage received in reply was, "that the lords had concurred "in the refolution of the commons, and had appointed his grace the "duke of Leinfter and the earl of "Charlemont to join with fuch "members as the commons should "appoint to prefent the addrefs of "both houfes to his royal highnels "the prince of Wales." Mr. Grattan then moved, "that "the right honourable Thomas Connolly, right honourable J. "O'Neil, right honourable W. B. "Ponfonby, and J. Stewart, Efq. "fhould be appointed commiffion" ers on the part of the commons, "for the purpose of prefenting the "addrefs to his royal highnefs the "prince of Wales;" and they were appointed accordingly. Thefe motions having pafled, Mr. Grattan then moved, "that "the two houfes of parliament "had discharged an indifpenfable duty, in providing for the third "eftate of the Irifh conftitution "(rendered incomplete through the "king's incapacity) by appointing "the prince of Wales regent of "Ireland." The motion was oppofed principally on the ground of its being confidered as the foundation of a vote of cenfure of the lord-lieutenant; #two months, ending the 26th of "May, 1789," be added. Upon this occafion, Mr. Brownlow obferved, that though no party man, he thought it neceflary to proceed with caution. Some difference had arisen between his excellency the governor and the two houfes. He fhould never forget the affair of lord Townfhend, who prorogued the parliament, and protefted against their proceedings, for the commons exercifing a right of originating bills of fupply; a right in which lay the effence of all their privileges. What lord Townfhend did, lord Buckingham might do, if they paffed the fupply for a year; nay, he might and perhaps would diffolve them, and then how could they look at their conftituents; who would say, "You have deferved all this; for when we put our purfe in your hands, you foolishly let go the ftrings?" 64 66 The attorney general faid, that he recollected the event referred to by the honourable gentleman; and remembered too, that the house voted an addrefs of thanks when they next met, which addrefs coft the nation half a million of money. On the question put there appeared for the amendment, Ayes 101, Noes 85. Mr. Grattan then moved, that the army be provided for but to the 25th of May; which was likewife carried, Ayes 102, Noes 77. The committee on the two houles arrived in London on the 25th, and the day following prefented their addrefs to the prince of Wales at Carlton Houfe. As the convalefcent ftate of his majesty's health was at this time apparent, his royal highnefs, after returning his warmeft thanks for the addrefs, and expreffing the fatisfaction he received from the proof it afforded of their loyal and affectionate attachment to the perfon and government of the king, acquainted them with the fortunate change that had taken place. Within a few days, he hoped that the joyful event of his majefty's refuming his government would enable him to give them a final anfwer, and make it only neceflary for him to repeat thofe fentiments of gratitude and affection to the loyal and generous people of Ireland, which he felt indelibly imprinted on his heart. On the 14th of March the lord lieutenant went in ftate to the house of peers; and having acquainted the two houfes with the king's recovery, addresses of congratulation were immediately voted to his majefty. On the 23d, the members of the committee appointed to wait upon the prince of Wales, being returned to Dublin, reported to the two houfes the final answer of his royal highnefs [See State Papers, p. 315.]; which was ordered to be inferted in their journals, and an addrefs of thanks was voted. CHAP. CHAP. VI. New commiffion iffued in confequence of the king's recovery. Speech of the commiffioners to the two boufes. Addreffes of thanks and congratulation. Mr. Fox's obfervations upon the addrefs of the house of commons. Addreffes to the queen. Debate on the ordnance extraordinaries. Question of fortifying the Weft-India Islands difcuffed; plan oppofed by general Burgoyne, Mr. Courtney, and Mr. Sheridan; fupported by Mr. Pitt and colonel Phipps. Mr. Beaufoy's bill for commemorating the revolution, paffes the boufe of commons, rejected by the lords. Mr. Fox moves for the repeal of the Shop-tax; agreed to by Mr. Pitt. Preamble to the bill of repeal objected, Restrictions on hawkers and pedlars taken off. Message from the king relative to the public thanksgiving day, and the refolutions of the house of commons thereon. Mr. Beaufoy's motion for repealing the coporation and teft acts, fupported by Mr. Smith and Mr. Fox, and opposed by lord North and Mr. Pitt; loft by a majority of only 20. The earl Stanhope's bill for repealing certain penal statutes rejected on the fecond reading. The confideration of the flave-trade poftponed to the next feffions. Mr. Grenville made fecretary of state, and Mr. Henry Addington Speaker of the house of commons. Budget opened. Animadverfions thereon. Motion by Mr. Sheridan for a new committee of finance. The report of the committee of 1786 defended by Mr. Grenville. Plan opened by Mr. Pitt for transferring the tobacco duties to the excife. Strong oppofition made to it by the manufacturers, and in both houses of parliament. Extraordinary conduct of the chancellor. India budget opened by Mr. Dundas; animadverted on by Mr. Francis. Bill paffed to enable the company to add one million to their capital. Proceedings relative to the trial of Mr. Haftings. His petition to the house of commons, complaining of Mr. Burke; proceedings of the house, and refolution moved thereon. Libel on the house of commons, ordered to be profecuted. Application from the French government for the exportation of flour, voted inadmiffille. Seffions prorogued. March 10. the name of the commiffioners, and acquainted them, that his majefty being recovered from his late fevere indifpofition, and enabled to attend the public affairs of his kingdom, had commanded them to convey his warmeft acknowledgements for the additional proofs which they had given of their affectionate attachment to his perfon, and of their zealous concern for the honour and interefts of his crown, and the fecurity and good government of his dominions. That That they were likewife ordered vent his joining in the addrefs, yet by his majefty to acquaint them, he fhould readily do fo, confidering that, fince the clofe of the last fefit mer ly as the minifter's eulogium fion, he had concluded a treaty of on himfelf. That it was to be condefenfive alliance with the king of fidered in no other light he was conPruffia, copies of which would be fident, because it fell to his lot to laid before them; that his majesty's know from authority, that those who endeavours were employed during could alone inform his majesty of the the laft fummer, in conjunction with reafons and grounds of the different his allies, in order to prevent, as opinions and doctrines which had much as poffible, the extenfion of been formed and maintained, had hoftilities in the north, and to ma- not an opportunity of giving him nifeft his defire of effecting a ge- any fuch information; and he knew neral pacification; that no opportu- his majefty's fenfe of duty and renity would be neglected on his part gard to juftice too well, to believe, to promote this falutary object; and that, without any explanation on the that he had, in the mean time, the fubject, his majefty would give a defatisfaction of receiving from all fo- cided opinion. At the fame time he reign courts continued affurances remarked, that on fuch a day as that, of their friendly difpofitions to this he conceived, at least, that the right country. honourable gentleman might have been kept in the back ground, in order to let his majesty stand forward as the only prominent figure. The houfe of commons were then told, that the estimates for the current year would forthwith be laid before them; and that his majefty was perfuaded of their readiness to make the neceffary provifions for the feveral branches of the public fervice. An addrefs of congratulation and thanks was moved in the house of lords by the earl of Chesterfield, and feconded by the earl of Cathcart; and in the houfe of commons by earl Gower and Mr. Yorke, and voted nem. con. Some doubts were expreffed by lord Stanhope, refpecting the regularity of their proceedings, and their not having his majesty's recovery afcertained in the manner provided in the regency bill, which were over-ruled by the lord chancellor. In the lower houfe, Mr. Fox observed, that though the praife beftowed in the king's fpeech upon the late proceedings of the two houfes, appeared defigned to pre An addrefs of congratulation to the queen was alfo proposed by the earl of Morton and lord Hawkefbury, and by the marquis of Graham and Mr. Hamilton in the lower houfe, and voted unanimously. March 18. The first fubject of debate that occurred in the houfe of commons, was a motion for a fum of 218,000l. to be granted for the extraordinaries of the ordnance. This demand was made in confequence of a plan formed by the mafter general for fortifying, to a certain extent, the Weft-India Iands. In fupport of the plan it was urged, that the islands, in their prefent ftate, were expofed defencelefs to the fudden attack of an enemy; and that for the want of fuch fortifications, feveral of them, during the laft war, were captured even while our fleets were fuperior in thofe feas; which captures would have been been prevented, had the islands been in a fituation to have held out for a fhort time. It was allowed that the iflands must ultimately depend upon the fleet, but that the combined ftrength of a fleet, and of forts, would add much greater fafety to them than could poffibly be expected from a fleet alone, which could not be prefent every where at the fame time. On the other hand it was faid, that in islands where there were but few landing-places, fortifications might be neceflary in order to guard, at the beginning of a war, againft furprife; but that fortifications were no defence againft the enemy, fo as to preferve thofe iflands during a courfe of war, and might prove a difadvantage rather than an advantage. For inftance, fhould an enemy on landing threaten a commander of a garrison, that if he did not capitulate, they would fet fire to the ifland and burn the whole of it: in fuch a cafe, it was much to be doubted whether the clamour of the planters, their threats to join the enemy fooner than have their plantations destroyed, and a variety of other circumftances, might not oblige the beft officer to capitulate. But fuppofing an ifland was taken, what would a French officer fay when called upon to capitulate, and threatened with the devaftation of the island? His antwer would be, "In the name of mifchief burn away!" He would know, that at the end of the war in all probability the inland would be reftored by France to Great Britain, and therefore the leís valuable it was rendered, the better. Fortifications, therefore, would in effect prove a differvice to us, and an advantage to the enemy, because it was evi t dent we could not use the fame means of regaining an island as the enemy might refort to for the purpofe of obtaining its furrender." The plan was farther objected to, on account of the uncertainty of the expenfe attending it, and the number of additional troops it would require. The chancellor of the exchequer had fated the amount of the expenfe at about 180,000l.; but he had at the fame time faid, he could only guefs that it would be about the fum that he had mentioned, but it was impoffible for him to afcertain it. Before they proceeded to vote fo enormous an expenfe, they ought to have the eftimates upon the table, and fhould be prepared to vote next year an increafe of men to double, perhaps to treble, the number now voted for the defence of the Weft India Iflands; not to mention that the climate of that country was fo unhealthy, that it was generally deemed the grave of the British foldier; it often happening that one-third of the troops fent there died within three months, another part were in the hofpital, and not more than a third were capable of answering the mufter roll and doing duty. In reply to thefe objections it was urged, that fortifications were admitted to be of use against a coup de main, in islands where there were but few landing-places, and that this was the cafe in almost every ifland in the Weft Indies. Few of them had landing-places but on one fide of the land, in confequence of the trade winds, which blew fo ftrong in those feas, that fhips could not make the fhore on the leeward-fide, and the more especially, as the coaft of most of thofe iflands was exceedingly rocky and dangerous. As a farther proof |