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It being understood that preparations were making for another embarkation of troops from Ireland to America, a very important motion was on the 12th of December made by fir James Lowther, "that it be refolved by the houfe, that the war carried on against the colonies and plantations of North America had been ineffectual to the purposes for which it was undertaken; and that it was alfo the opinion of this houfe, that all farther attempts to reduce the Americans to obedience by force, must be injurious to this country, by weakening her powers to resist her antient and confederated enemies." In support of this motion, which was indeed the plain dictate of common fense, the mover observed, "that the late speech from the throne had given a juft alarm to the nation-it had fhewn them that the minifters were determined to perfevere in the American war-that more blood and more money were to be lavished in this fatal contest; the men invefted with the powers of government derived no advantage from experience-the furrender of one army only gave them fpirit to rifque a fecond, and the furrender of the fecond only inftigated them to venture a third. There was no end of lofs nor of madness. The unexampled ignorance and misconduct of the ministry were now visible to all the world! It was therefore become the indifpenfible duty of that house to come to fome folemn refolution, in order to mark and define their idea of the American war, and to convince their conftituents that they were awake to the real fituation of the country."

The motion was feconded by Mr. Powys, member for Northamptonshire, who acknowledged " that a variety of pretexts infidioufly advanced by the minifters, and too credulously received by the majority of that house, had feduced them, from one feffion to another, to move with fatal steps along the path to national destruction. The war with the colonies was the idol of his majesty's minifters; they had bowed before it themselves, and had made

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the nation bow. The conduct which at the commencement of hoftilities might be denominated firmness, had now degenerated into obstinacy; an obftinacy which called upon all honeft and independent men to defert the prefent administration, unless a change of meafures were adopted. That men who were indebted to war for their emoluments, power, and influence, fhould perfevere in fuch iniquitous and felfifh meafures, was not extraordinary; but it was a juft cause for wonder that they should be fupported by individuals of independent principles and independent fortunes. The infidious pretence of revenue was grown too ftale for impofition. The American war had been a war of delufion from beginning to end. Every promife had been broken, every affertion had been falfified, every object relinquifhed. It was now a war of this fort, then a war of that fort; now a war of revenue, then a war of fupremacy; now a war of coercion, and then a war of friendship and affection for America: but it was time to put an end to these chicaneries. ever might be the nature of the war, no prospect of succefs in it remained. He therefore not only gave the motion his full concurrence, but he fhould feel the highest pleasure if it received the general approbation of the houfe."

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This speech bore a very ominous aspect with relation to the minifters; for, Mr. Powys being himself a principal leader of the independent intereft, or country gentlemen, in the house, there was reafon to apprehend the fpeedy and general defection of that high and haughty clafs of members and a mere minifterial majority of placemen and penfioners, it is fuperfluous to fay, affords only a rotten and treacherous fupport, whenever a furmife prevails that fupport is really wanted.

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In the course of the debate general Burgoyne acknowledged" that he was now convinced the principle of the American war was wrong, though he had not been of

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that opinion when he engaged in the fervice. Paffion and prejudice and interest were now no more, and reafon and obfervation had led him to a very different conclufion and he now faw that the American war was only one part of a system levelled against the conftitution of this country, and the general rights of mankind.”

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Notwithstanding the utmost oppofition of the minister, the numbers, on dividing the houfe, appeared to be 179 in favor of the motion, against 220 who oppofed it. This was a majority in which the miniftry had little reason to exult. It afresh excited the moft fanguine hopes of the public, who, with the exception of the high tory and prerogative faction, were now perfectly unanimous in their reprobation of the war and its authors.

On the 14th of December, two days only after the motion of fir James Lowther, the army eftimates were laid before the houfe by the fecretary at war, from which it appeared that the whole military force required for the year 1782, including, the provincial corps ferving in America, amounted to 195,000 men. One hundred thousand feamen and marines had been already voted by the houfe. It was however ftated by lord George Germaine, "that the miniftry were of opinion, confidering the prefent fituation of affairs, and the misfortunes of the war, that it would not be right to continue any longer the plan on which it had hitherto been conducted; and that a fresh army would not be sent to supply the place of that captured at York town. It was intended only to preferve fuch pofts in America, as might facilitate and cooperate with the enterprifes of our fleets."

In the debate which enfued, fir George Saville particularly diftinguished himself. "At length, then," said this firm and faithful patriot, "we are given to understand that a change is to be made in the MODE of conducting the American war. The minifters do not intend to profecute it in the fame manner as before.-Why? Because they

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could not if they would. But it appeared that they were determined to profecute it with all the feeble efforts of which they were yet capable. Being detained in the country by ill health, he had not heard the king's fpeech on it's first delivery; but when it reached him in his retirement, he had read it with HORROR, announcing as it did the continuance of the present war in its most destructive form. As to the addrefs of that house, in answer to the fpeech, it was a mere echo without meaning, a futile and empty found. So fervile was the dependence of that houfe on the executive power, and fo little folicitous were they to conceal their dependence, that if the king's fpeech had contained the line, What beauties does Flora difclofe!' he doubted not but the addrefs would have filled up the couplet by repeating, How fweet are her fmiles upon Tweed!' The minifters had loft the two hands of the empire in the profecution of this frantic and ineffectual war; by a continuance of it they would rifque the head. Such a conduct refembled, if it did not indicate, the violence of infanity. Could the house fo far forget their dignity, and relinquish their understanding, as not to refift this madness? Would they intruft lunatics with the management of the public purfe? Would they place the fword within their hands, and bid them use it at their DISCRETION?"

General Conway declared himself "anxious for a recall of our fleets and aries from America. Of two evils he would choose the leaft, and fubmit to the independence of America, rather than perfift in the profecution of fo pernicious and ruinous a war. As to the idea now fuggested of a war of posts, what garrifons, he asked, would be able to maintain them, when it was well known that even fir Henry Clinton, at New York, did not confider himself as fecure ?"

Mr. Fox remarked, "that four years ago, after the difafter of Saratoga, the noble lord at the head of affairs

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had amufed the house with the fame language. Then the plan of future hoftilities was to be differently modified, and the war conducted on a smaller and more contracted scale. On this contracted fcale, however, we had loft another great army, befides fuffering other grievous defeats, and irretrievable calamities."

Mr. Pitt reprobated with the utmoft force of language, "as a fpecies of obstinacy bordering upon madness, the idea of any further profecution of the American war with our fleets oppofed by a fuperior force, and our armies in captivity. He appealed to the whole houfe, whether every defcription of men did not deteft and execrate the American war, and whether it were uncharitable to implore the Almighty to fhower down his vengeance on the men who were the authors of their country's ruin ?"

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The impreffion made by the fucceffive fpeeches of the principal leaders of oppofition in this debate, was too great to be concealed; but the eftimates, as originally moved, were at length voted by a confiderable majority. Nearly at this time a petition was prefented by the city of London to the king, in which the calamities refulting from the war are stated in terms peculiarly impreffive and eloquent. In conclufion they fay, "we beseech your majefty no longer to continue in a delufion from which the nation has awakened, and that your majefty will be gracioufly pleased to relinquish entirely and for ever the plan of reducing our brethren in America by force. And we do further humbly implore your majesty, that your majefty will be gracioufly pleased to difmifs from your presence and councils all the advisers, both public and fecret, of the measures we lament, as a pledge to the world of your majefty's fixed determination to abandon a fyftem incompatible with the intereft of the crown and the happiness of your people."

Soon after the recefs of parliament, Mr. Fox renewed his former motion of cenfure against the firft lord of the admiralty;

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