now entrusted;" at the fame time stating his own clear and decided opinion, the refult of much serious reflection, that fome effectual means ought to be adopted for the purpofe of terminating our prefent unfortunate differences with America. His Grace remarked, "That the inclinations of the majority of perfons of respectability and property in England differed in little elfe than words from the declarations of the Congrefs-That if Deputies from the United Colonies CANNOT be acknowledged by the King, other expedients might be devifed, by which the wishes and expectations of his Majefty's American subjects might be stated and properly confidered-That a want of intercourfe had hitherto been, and muft ftill remain, an infuperable bar to accommodation. His Grace obferved, that the idea of a powerful party in America ready to avow their loyalty under the protection of a military force was now vanifhed. It is evident that, as the means of offence are increased, America has also in the fame proportion increased her means of defence; that the event of such a struggle must be hopeless, difgraceful, and ruinous and his Grace concluded his letter, written at this critical and perilous juncture, by fuggefting one mode at leaft by which intercourfe and negotiation might commence, under a generous offer of a truce to the revolted Colonies, fanctioned by the address of both Houses to the King, on various motives of policy,

affection,

affection, and humanity." To this letter the Duke received a polite and refpectful, though very unfatisfactory answer from Lord North, upon the whole purporting that measures of coercion were unalterably determined upon.

On the receipt of the Congress petition, delivered to Lord Dartmouth by Mr. Penn, his Grace again renewed his folicitations with the Minifters for the adoption of a pacific fyftem, but with no better effect. The Duke then, as the laft refource, requested an audience of the KING, in which he stated to his Majefty, without referve, his reasons why he could no longer take any part in the adminiftration of affairs. The King liftened with attention, and condefcendingly endeavored to demonftrate to his Grace, by calm and difpaffionate reasoning, the justice, the policy, and neceffity of this war, and the abfolute certainty of ultimate fuccefs; and finding that he was unable to effect the conviction he wished, he flatteringly expreffed his regret at parting with fo experienced and faithful a fervant.

On the ufual motion in the Houfe of Lords for an address in answer to the speech from the Throne, Lord Rockingham in the most pointed terms condemned the meafures recommended in it, as bearing the most portentous aspect to the British empire, and fraught with the most ruinous confequences. The charge against the colonies of aiming at independence his Lordship feverely repreK 3 hended,

hended, as totally unfounded: "but what," faid his Lordship," they never originally intended, we may certainly drive them to-they will undoubtedly prefer independence to flavery." The charge of making infidious profeffions of duty was equally reprobated. On the contrary, it was observed by his Lordship, that they had from the beginning declared, in terms the most explicit, that they never would fubmit to be arbitrarily taxed by any body of men whatever. They did not WHISPER their complaints, but fairly told the world what they would do if urged to extremity. What, his Lordfhip afked, was that lenity of Parliament fo much boasted of in the fpeech? Was it to be discovered in the Boston Port Bill? in the Fishery Bill? in the Maffachusetts Charter Bill? or in the indemnity and encouragement held out to military licenfe in the Bill which profeffes as its object the impartial adminiftration of juftice? Minifters, faid his Lordship, have been warned feffion after feffion of the danger in which they were involving themfelves and the country; but the fources of information which Minifters relied upon were the false, partial, illiberal reprefentations of felfifh, artful, and defigning men, who had held public offices in America, and who by this means were glad to gratify at once their intereft, their prejudices, and their revenge. His Lordship concluded an excellent speech by moving an amendment to the

addrefs

addrefs-"That, deeply impreffed with the melancholy state of public concerns, they would on mature deliberation endeavor to apply the most effectual means of reftoring order to the distracted affairs of the British empire, &c."

The Duke of Grafton now rose to support the amendment, and in a particular manner attracted the attention of the House and of the Public, by an open and ingenuous acknowledgment that he had by misinformation and mifrepresentation been induced to give countenance to a plan the most abhorrent from his mind and opinion-being repeatedly affured that the mere appearance of coercion would fuffice to establish a perfect reconciliation. His Grace declared, that he could no longer hesitate as to the part he ought to take, being now fully convinced, that nothing less than a total repeal of the American laws paffed fince the year 1763 could restore peace and happiness, or prevent those fatal confequences which he could not even think of without grief and horror. Such, he said, was the ftrength of his conviction, that no perfonal confideration whatever could induce him to refrain from giving his most determined oppofition to the meafures actually purfued, and to thofe which he understood were yet in contemplation. After a long and vehement debate, the amendment of Lord Rockingham was rejected by 69 voices to 29, and the original motion, on a fecond divifion, carried

by 76 voices to 33. But the Lords in the minority entered upon the Journals a moft spirited and vigorous protest against it. "We have beheld with forrow and indignation," say their Lordships, “ freemen driven to refiftance by acts of oppreffion and violence. We cannot confent to an addrefs which may deceive his Majefty and the Public into a belief of the confidence of this Houfe in the prefent Ministry, who have difgraced Parliament, deceived the Nation, loft the Colonies, and involved us in a civil war against our clearest interests, and upon the most unjustifiable grounds, wantonly spilling the blood of thousands of our fellow fubjects."

On the refignation of the Duke of Grafton, Lord Dartmouth, whofe mild temper was ill calculated to enforce the prefent bloody and coercive meafures, was advanced to the dignity of Lord Privy Seal; and Lord George Germaine, fo famous, or rather infamous, under his former appellation of Lord George Sackville, who, after a long course of oppofition, had uniformly voted with the Court on the questions relative to America, was appointed to the vacant poft of Secretary of State for the Colonies. The most odious of tasks was now therefore properly affigned to the most odious of instruments. Lord Rochford alfo at this time choofing to retire from public bufinefs, the Earl of Weymouth was reinstated in the office of Secretary for the Southern Department, refigned by his Lordship in the