Britain to North America had increased from the beginning of the prefent century, when they amounted to five hundred and feventy thousand pounds, to upwards of fix millions annually." The purport of the refolutions, which were thirteen in number, went to recognize the legal competency of the Colony Affemblies for all the various purposes of taxation; to acknowledge that this legal competency has had a juft and beneficial exercife; that experience has fhewn the benefit of their grants, and the futility of parliamentary taxation as a method of fupply. Others of the propofitions related to the fettlement of an independent Judicature, the regulation of the Courts of Admiralty, and 'the repeal of the late coercive Acts of Parliament. The previous queftion being moved on the firft propofition, it was carried in favor of the Miniftry by 270 voices to 78; and the remaining ones were with the fame facility evaded, or negatived without a divifion*. Another attempt was in a few days made by Mr.

* These propofitions of Mr. Burke may be considered as comprising the mature and deliberate plan of the Rockingham party, for the restoration of the public tranquillity, to which purpose they were moft wifely and happily adapted. The speech by which they were enforced is by far the most valuable of Mr. Burke's productions; it can never be too much studied or admired. Of the fpeaker it can only be faid, O fi fic omnia dixiffet!

Hartley,

Hartley, a very refpectable Member of Oppofition, to effect an accommodation of this fatal quarrel, by moving " that letters of requifition fhould be iffued, agreeably to antient precedent, under authority of the Crown, with a view to procure a permanent and voluntary contribution from the feveral Colonies towards the general expences of the Empire:" but this was negatived without a divifion.

At this period the City of London once more ventured to breathe her fruitless requests in the ear of Majefty, by an address, remonstrance, and petition, which was diftinguished by the remarkable circumftance of its being prefented to the King by Mr. Wilkes, in his official capacity of Lord Mayor, to which civic dignity he had been elected at the clofe of the preceding year. In this remonftrance the citizens of London declared "their abhorrence of the measures which had been purfued, and were then pursuing, to the oppreffion of their fellow-fubjects in the Colonies. Not deceived by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifim dignity, they faid, they plainly perceived that the real purpose was to establish arbitrary power over all America. These measures, they affirmed, were carried into execution by his Majefty's Minifters, by the fame fatal corruption which had enabled them to wound the peace and violate the conftitution of this country. Your petitioners there

fore, they fay, do moft earnestly entreat your Mar jefty to difmifs immediately and for ever from your councils thofe Minifters and Advifers, as the first step towards a redress of thofe grievances which alarm and afflict your whole people.”—The following answer was, in a tone of marked and unusual emotion, delivered from the Throne: "It is with the utmost astonishment that I find any of my jects capable of encouraging the rebellious difpofition which unhappily exifts in some of my Colonies in North America. Having entire confidence

in

fub

my Parliament, the great council of the nation, I will fteadily pursue thofe measures which they have recommended for the support of the conftitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interefts of my kingdoms."

Towards the close of the feffion the House refolved itself into a Committee, at the motion of the Minifter, to confider of the encouragement proper to be given to the fisheries of Great Britain and Ireland. Bounties were granted to the thips from either kingdom employed in the Newfoundland or Greenland fisheries; Ireland was allowed to export tools and implements for the purposes of the fisheries; and by two refolutions not connected with the original motion, and intended as an additional douceur, it was rendered lawful, 1. to export from Ireland clothing for fuch regiments on the Irish establishment as were employed abroad;

and

and by the 2d, five fhillings per barrel bounty was allowed on the importation of flax-feed into that kingdom. But thefe trivial conceffions rather excited the contempt than the gratitude of that long oppreffed and long fuffering nation.

On the 15th of May Mr. Burke presented to the Houfe a paper ftyled, A Representation and Remonftrance from the General Affembly of New York. This province, accounted lefs difaffected than any other, and which in conjunction with North Carolina had hitherto refused an unreserved acquiefcence in the refolutions of the Congrefs, had not been included in the late reftraining Acts. But, at the fuggeftion of the Minister, this remonftrance was rejected by the House, as containing claims inconfiftent with the unlimited authority of Great Britain :-a fortunate circumstance for America, as this refufal completed that union which it was the policy, though in this inftance counteracted by the pride, of the Court to obftruct or diffolve. A memorial from the fame body was at the fame time prefented to the House of Peers, by the Duke of Manchester; but their Lordships would not suffer it to be read, affirming, that the title of the paper rendered it inadmiffible; though it was observed by the Noble Mover, that the lowest commiffioned officer in the service had an unquestioned right to prefent a memorial to the King; fo that it was not eafy to conceive how

the

the term in queftion could militate against their Lordships' dignity. dignity. At length this extraordinary feffion was brought to a close, and the King was pleased to exprefs from the Throne "the most perfect fatisfaction in the conduct of his Parliament, and his entire conviction that the moft SALUTARY EFFECTS muft refult from fuch measures, formed and conducted on fuch principles." What these effects were, we must now turn our eyes to the continent of America in order to afcertain.

All EUROPE faw with amazement the fpirit of rafhnefs and folly which at this crifis reigned in the Councils of Britain, and which prompted her to treat with fuch unparalleled harfhnefs and difdain those Colonies which, in better and happier tines, fhe had cherished with fond affection; and of which the might truly and proudly boast, that as no nation had ever formed colonial establishments on principles fo liberal, no colonies had ever, in fo fhort a period, attained to fuch profperity, or fo amply rewarded the parental cares of the country from which they fprang. FREDERIC the Third, King of Pruffia, that great Monarch, who, combining in his own perfon the characters of the hero, the philofopher, and the statesman, may be confidered as not inferior to any fovereign who has ever fwayed the fceptre of any country, has left upon record, in terms very explicit and remarkable, his fentiments refpecting the conduct