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Walfingham, who dwelt particular- lay these grievances before the fo

Iv on the dangerous confequences of a precipitate peace, which would be throwing away the advantages we had gained by our perfeverance in this arduous conteft, and yielding to despondence, at a time when we onght to make the most of the difficulties our enemies had to contend with, and were not likely to furmount, if we continued to act with the refolution that had hitherto characterifed our measures.

In reply to these assertions, it was obferved by the duke of Bedford, that it was more confiftent with the dignity of a Britism parliament, to frame an address of its own, than to copy the speech of the minifter, though delivered from the throne. His fentiments differed materially from the minifterial language he had heard. It represented the French as on the verge of ruin; but the truth of facts, opposed to the illution of words, was that they were hitherto fuperior in the contest, notwithstanding the conftant predictions of the minister and his partifans, during the three preceding years, that they had not fuffiGent resources to prolong it another campaign. The duke adverted with great feverity to the reiterated allegation, that the French government was incapable of fulfilling the customary duties and relations of amity and good understanding with other states. He reprobated with equal afperity the fruitless deftruction of men in the West Indies, and the ill-fated expedition to the coast of France. Thefe, and the other evils of the war, particularly the scarcity that afflicted the nation, he imputed to the misconduct and incapacity of ministers. It was therefore the duty of parliament to

vereign, and to fupplicate him to relieve the fufferings of the nation, by confenting to a negociation for peace, which was the only effectual remedy for the many calamities under which the people laboured, in confequence of this unfortunate

war.

The obfervations of the duke of Bedford were warmly controverted by lord Grenville, who infifted that the situation of this country was evidently superior to that of France in every point of view. Our fucceffes at fea were far more conducive to the internal profperity of the kingdom, than the dear-bought victories of the French had, or could ever prove to the people of France. The depreciation of the paper currency in that country, was, in his opinion, a circumstance to its detriment, and in our favour, that fully deferved the reiterated notice that had been taken of it. The most judicious of the French financiers were deeply fentible of the effects it would ultimately produce, and strongly deprecated the farther iflue of any notes, and the withdrawing of no less than ten parts out of thirteen from circulation. With fuch glaring proofs of the pecuniary diftreties of the enemy, was it prudent or reafonable to advise pacific meafures, when with a moderate degree of patience on our fide, he would probably be foon compelled to liften to more reasonable terms of peace, than the pride refulting from his late fuccefles would now permit him to accept. He concluded, by reprefenting the failure of the expedition to the coaft of France as occafioned by the treachery of thofe French corps, that had been too. confidently relied upon.

He

He was replied to by the marquis of Lansdowne, who pointedly animadverted on the profperous fitu ation wherein ministers asserted the country ftood at the present mo

ment. What he had foretold was come to pass; our allies had deferted us, and our enemies were every where victorious. The trite argument of their ruined finances was still revived; but in what state were our own? were they inexhaustible? were they equal to the support of ourselves, together with the weight of those pretended friends who had taken our money, and converted it to purposes entirely foreign to those for which it was granted, and who were waiting with their accustomed avidity for fresh grants. Taxes could only be carried to a certain length: beyond which they would in this country, as in all others, become intolerable. But money alone was no security for fuccefs; fagacity was of far greater confequence. The minifterial projects and enterprizes displayed little of this effential requifite; failures and difappointments continually attended them. This however was not surprising, as their attempts againft the foe were glaringly marked with imprudence. The expedition to St. Domingo, for inftance, was an unpardonable act of temerity; here the French were infurmountable: it was the capital feat of their strength in the West Indies; of this the great lord Chatham was fo well convinced that he wifely forbore, even in the midst of his fuccesses, to make it an object of attack. The French, it was true, were ftraitened for money, but they had that which was better; they had good foldiers and excellent commanders;

on

those they chiefly depended, and

fortune had favoured them. Cou rage was inexhaustible, but wealth had its limits and the example of France ought to warn us of the danger of stretching the pecuniary resources of the nation beyond their natural bearings. The war had tried them to fuch an extent, that it was time to cease the experiment how far they would go, and to make negociation take place of hoftilities.

The earls of Mansfield and Darnley spoke in favour of the address, and the duke of Grafton and the earl of Lauderdale against it. The latter inveighed bitterly against minifters for the affurances they had given to the public in the former feflions, that fuch was the superior might of the confederacy, that France would be utterly unable to resist it; but how different the reality from the fair appearances they had held out! defeat and defertion had characterised those allies in whose name fuch lofty promifes had been made; and to complete the picture of the national calamities, we were now vifited by a scarcity, undeniably owing to the improvident conduct of those at the helm; yet minifters boldly afferted that our condition was improved, and that of the enemy worse than ever. But did not facts give the strongesst denial to those thameful afleverations? was not the enemy in pofleffion of all we had conquered, and preparing for new conquests? was not the coalition broken and dissolved, and fome of its principal members in treaties of peace and amity with the French? could any man of fenfe and integrity interpret fuch things as improvements in the fituation of this country? did they entitle us to expect that the French. French should be the first to fue for peace, as ministers presumptuously afferted?

The amendment brought forward by the duke of Bedford was strongly opposed by earl Spencer, who contended that in so extensive a war, waged in almost every part of the globe, it could not be expected that the mercantile shipping of this country would always escape the vigilance of an enemy, whose only and perpetual object at fea was depredation. It was indeed more furprising that his captures were so few, when it was confidered that we carried on nearly the whole trade of Europe. He gave a fatisfactory account of the naval tranfactions during the peceding season, and made it appear that the mifchances which had befallen the commercial fleets were owing to unavoidable accidents, and not to mifconduct. He justified the employment of Mr. Puissaye, as a perfon through whose means the principal communication was kept up with France, where he headed a confiderably party of royalists.

The duke of Norfolk spoke for

the amendment, and the lord chancellor in oppofition to it. The duko of Bedford in resuming that subject recurred to the expreffions used by lord Grenville, which were, that "in cafe the constitution now offered to the people of France, should be found likely to establish itself in such a form as to secure a government that might preserve the relations of peace and amity, his objections to treat with them would be entirely removed."

The substance of what had been spoken by lord Grenville, was confomable to the words taken down by the duke of Bedford; but the former declared himself of opinion, that it was not parliamentary to make the words of a peer, uttered in the course of the debate, a formal ground of propofing or of recalling a motion. Hereon the duke confented to withdraw his amendment; refusing however his approbation to that part of the address which afferted an improvement in the fituation of public affairs. The address was then finally moved, and carried in the affirmative.

CHAP.

CHAP. 11.

A Proclamation offering a large pecuniary Reward for the Discovery of any Perfons guilty of the recent Outrages against the Person of the King.Conference between the Lords and Commons on this Subject. - A Bill for the Safety and Preservation of the King's Perfon and Government. Debates thereon in both Houses of Parliament.-A Bill for the Prevention of Seditious Meetings.-Debates thereon. The two Bills under Discussion in Parliament occafion a general Alarm, and much Oppofition without Doors.In this Opposition the lead was taken by the Whig-Club. Which was fotlowed by the Corresponding Societies and other Affociations. As well as diffcrent Bodies legally incorporated. - The Ministry still perfevere in their • Measures. Debates on the numerous Petitions against the two Bills now pending in Parliament. General Indignation against the Principles and Objects of these. -The two Bills passed into Laws.

IN

N the mean time the indignities offered to the king were a fubject of universal difcourse, and highly reprobated by the prudent and moderate, as procurfory of far greater evils than had hitherto been experienced by those who vented their difcontent in this outrageous manner. On the last day of October, a proclamation was issued, offering a thousand pounds for the difcovery of any perfon guilty of those outrages. On the fourth of November it was followed by another, wherein it was said, that previously to the opening of parliament, multitudes had been called together by hand-bills and advertisements, who met in the vicinity of the metropolis, where inflammatory speeches were made, and divers means used to fow discontent and excite feditious proceedings. These meetings and difcourses were followed three days after by the moft daring infults to the king, by

which his person had been imminently endangered. Rumours had alfo been spread, that assemblies were to be held by disaffected people for illegal purposes. In consequence of those proceedings, it was enjoined by the proclamation to all magiftrates, and well affected fubjects, to exert themselves in preventing and fuppreffing all unlawful meetings, and the dissemination of feditious writings.

So great had been the alarm and indignation, created by the treatment of the king, that as soon as he had gone through the reading of his speech, and had left the house, it was immediately ordered to he cleared of all strangers, and a confultation held by the lords, in what manner to proceed upon so extraordinary an occafion. An address to the king was refolved upon, and a conference with the house of commons to request their concur. rence therein. The majority agreed

in

in this measure; but the marquis of Lansdowne accused the ministers of intending to seize this opportunity to work upon the paffions and fears of the people, and to lead their reprefentatives into conceffons derogatory to the public liberty, and debafing to their character, in order to confirm their own power at the expence of the conftitution.

A conference with the commons was held accordingly in the course of the day, and witnesses were examined in relation to the outrages committed. Their evidence was communicated to the commons, and both houses unanimously concurred in the addresses propofed.

On the fixth of November, lord Grenville brought forward a bill, for better fecuring the king's perfon and government. The motive he alleged, was the necessity of preventing abuses fimilar to those that had taken place on the opening of the feffion. He explicitly attributed them to the licentious language and maxims held forth in the audacious meetings, which had been to long fuffered, without due notice on the part of the legislature, but which were now arrived to such a degree of infolence, that they required immediate restriction. He would recur on this occafion, he faid, to precedents framed in approved umes, the reign of Elizabeth, and the commencement of the reign of Charles II. He entertained ro doubt that the house coincided with his opinion, that a remedy ought inftantly to be applied to the danger that threatened monarchy, in the attack fo daringly made on the king's perfon. In order more effectually to obviate so great an evil, he would move the paffing of a bill, VOL. XXXVIII.

which he produced, and which was entitled "an act for the safety and preservation of his majesty's perfon and government against treasonable and feditious practices and attempts."

It

The bill introduced by lord Grenville was represented by the earl of Lauderdale, as creating new crimes and treasons, in addition to those already contained in the criminal code of this country. tended materially to enlarge the laws respecting treason, and would effect an alarming alteration in the very nature and spirit of the constitution. There was no evidence that the infults offered to the king originated in the meetings of the people in the fields near Illington, or in any other places. Thete meetings had been remarkably peaceable, and those who harangued the crowds that reforted to them from all quarters of the metropolis, were particularly careful to warn them against all riotous proceedings, left minifters should avail themfelves of that pretext, to put an end to all affemblies of the people. So harfh a meafure as that propofed had not therefore the leaft foundation in the unruly behaviour of those meetings, and were it to pass into a law, the liberty of conferring together, fo long enjoyed by the English, and which they juftly confidered as their indubitable right, would be radically deftroyed, and with it the firmest support of public freedoin. The intent of minifters, in adopting fo unprecedented a meafure, was clearly to filence the complaints of the nation against a war that had involved it in fo many calamities. and which they were determined to carry on in defiance of the ge nerd inclination to prace. The [C]

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