it will certainly add greatly to the weight and efficacy of their proceedings, if they appear the refult of full information, mature deliberation, and temperate enquiry; that no materials for fuch an enquiry have been laid before them, nor even fo much as promifed; that in this fituation they are called upon to make an addrefs, arbitrarily impofing qualities and defcriptions upon acts done in the colonies, of the true nature and juft extent of which they are as yet in a great meafure unapprized; a procedure, which, they think, by no means confonant to that purity which they ought ever to preferve in their judicial, and to that caution which ought to guide them in their deliberate capacity.

They befides objected to the addrefs, its implying an approbation of the unfortunate fyftem adopted with regard to the colonies in the laft parliament; a fyftem which, they reprefented, as conceived without prudence, and purfued without temper, confiftency, or forefight. After enlarging upon the mifchiefs it had produced, without a rational profpect of advantage, they faid that it afforded a melancholy profpect of the difpofition of Lords in the prefent parliament, when they fee the Houfe, under the preffure of fo fevere and uniform an experience, again ready, without any enquiry, to countenance, if not to adopt, the fpirit of the former fatal proceedings.

To this, befides the general obfervations on addteffes, it was anfwered by the ministerial fide, that the proceedings in America had been fuch, that if they were not met by fomething fpirited in the language of parliament, immedi

ately at its meeting, the caufe would feem to be given up; and this would be a declaration without enquiry, as that propofed in the addrefs; that for their part, nothing was farther from their thoughts, than a conceflion either expreffed or implied; that they hoped this parliament would fhew the fame regard for its dignity, by which the late parliament had acquired fo much honour; and one minifter confeffed, that he had advifed the diffolution, left popular diffatisfaction, arifing from untoward events, fhould break the chain of thofe public meafures which were neceffary to reduce the colonies to due obedience. The fooner the new parliament fpoke out upon the fubject, the better.

The debate was long and vehement, though the minority was but 13 to 63 on the divifion. It was rendered memorable by the circumftance of having produced a proteft, the first we remember to have heard of upon an address, and that too very ftrong and pointed. proteft concluded with the following remarkable declaration.

The

"But whatever may be the mifchievous defigns, or the inconfiderate temerity, which leads others to this defperate courfe, we wish to be known as perfons who have ever difapproved of meafures fo pernicious in their paft effects, and their future tendency, and who are not in hafte, without enquiry or information, to commit ourselves in declarations which may precipitate our country into all the calamities of a civil war."

Notwithstanding the hoflile tone of the fpeech, and the great majority that fupported the addresses in both Houfes, there appeared the moft glaring irrefolution on

fide

fide of ministry, with refpect to American affairs. It feemed as if no plan had yet been formed, nor fyftem adopted upon that fubject. The minifter appeared less than ufual in the Houfe of Commons, and fludiously avoided all explanation. Many imagined that he was thwarted and overruled by what in the cant phrafe is called the interior cabinet, and did not approve of the violent measures that were there generated. It was even at this time fuppofed, that he was feeling his own ftrength, and had fome thoughts of making an effort to emancipate himself from thofe fhackles, which rendered him anfwerable for the acts of others, who were not themfelves in any degree refponfible.

Other caufes might, perhaps with more probability, be affigned for this irrefolution. The minifter might ftill have his doubts with refpect to the temper of the new parliament. The landed intereft, which muft firft contribute to the fupport of coercive measures, was not yet prepared to look in the face the direct avowal of a war; and an increafe of the land-tax, where there was no incitement of national glory, and even the question of intereft fufficiently doubtful, might meet with a general and fatal oppofition. The whole weight of the mercantile interest, and of the great manufacturing body of the nation, was also to be apprehended.

However it was, whether it proceeded from irrefolution, a want of fyftem, or a difference of opinion in the cabinet, there was a frange fufpenfion of American bufinefs previous to the Christmas recefs, and the minister feemed evidently to hrink from all conteft upon that

fubject. The national estimates were entirely formed upon a peace establishment. The land-tax was continued at three fhillings in the pound; no vote of credit was required; the army remained upon its former footing, and a reduction of 4000 feamen took place, only 16,000 being demanded for the enfuing year.

Upon the laft of these articles it was obferved on the fide of opposition, that there was no reconciling the conduct of administration in a reduction of 4000 feamen with the fpeech from the throne, which announced the affairs of America to be in a moft critical and alarming fituation, and feemed to call for the moft vigorous and decifive measures. That this had all the appearance of being a minifterial trick; a forming of eftimates, in the firft inftance, which were only defigned as wastepaper, and never intended to be adhered to, and afterwards to furprize and drive the house into grants of an improper and burdenfome nature; that gentlemen could not face their conftituents in the recefs, without being able to give them any information, either relative to future burdens, or to what would be neceffarily involved in fuch an enquiry, whether compulfive measures were really intended to be pursued against the Americans; for that to talk of enforcing the acts upon a reduced establishment, either naval or military, was a fort of language fit to be held only to children.

The minifter not being then in the Houfe, a noble Lord who fate upon the fame bench with him, faid, he had authorized him to acquaint the Houfe, that he had no information whatever to lay before it, nor measures to propofe refpect

ing America. Other gentlemen on the fame fide faid, that this was not a proper time for a difcuffion of American affairs; that when they came before them in a parliamentary way, every gentleman would be at full liberty to declare his fentiments, and fupport his opinions, when, it was not to be doubted, but the minifter would give very good reasons as well for the delay, as for the naval reduction.

An attempt was made in thofe debates, and fupported with pleafantry, to turn the tables upon the gentlemen in oppofition, who had for feveral years been complaining of the greatness of our peace eftablishment both by fea and land, and now feemed to oppofe a reduction as foon as it was attempted by the minifters. But they justified their conduct on the appearance of public affairs, as well as the fpeech from the throne; they faid, an impofition upon the House and the public by delufive eftimates, was not a method of fhewing refpect to the one, or attention to the other, and the heavy loss and expence that might be incurred in that mode, under the feveral heads of an increased navy debt, fervices not provided for, and perhaps a vote of credit, were fully fhewn. The ftrange inconfiftency of adminiftration, with respect to American affairs, was feverely fcrutinized. It was afferted, that the whole was a cheat, in order to delude the people into a war, rendered doubly ruinous and difgraceful by a defective preparation; that the minifters obtinately refolved not to make peace by any reasonable political conceffion, nor war by any vigorous military arrangement; but by fluctu. ating between both, deprived the

nation of a poffibility of deriving benefit from either. Far from faving for the public, this delay of incurring timely charge would certainly aggravate the future expence, as they would affuredly feel in due time. That they were far from defiring war; as little did they relifh large peace establishments: but if, against their will, war must be carried on, common fenfe dictated, that it ought to be carried on with effect; and that if a peace establishment, and even lower than a peace establishment, was fufficient to

fupport a war, this afforded a demonftrative proof, that the peace establishment had been thamefully prodigal.

In answer to this, the minifter of the naval department publicly asferted, in the Houfe of Lords, that he knew the low eftablishment propofed would be fully fufficient for reducing the colonies to obedience. He spoke with the greatest contempt both of the power and the courage of the Americans. held, that they were not difciplined nor capable of difcipline, and that, formed of fuch materials, and fo indifpofed to action, the numbers of which fuch boafts had been made, would only add to the facility of their defeat.

He

Although on thefe grounds the establishment flood, or feemed to ftand as reduced, the minifters did not disclaim any further arrangements of a political nature. By being frequently urged, fome explanation was drawn out on that fubject in the House of Commons. A gentleman called publicly upon the minifter in that Houfe to know, whether he had any information to lay before them, or any measures to propofe refpecling America, for

if

if he had not, he thought it the duty of parliament to interpofe, to call for papers, and to proceed on fuch information, however defective, as they could obtain. He concluded by totally reprobating the meafures adopted by the late parliament, as equally impolitic and impracticable; and faid, that they never could be prudently or effectually carried into execution.

The lord at the head of the treafury did not enter much into a juftification of the meafures of the late parliament. He faid the fub. ject would require the utmoft diligence and attention, as a matter of the greatefl magnitude ever debated within their walls; that he could not entirely acquiefce in the condemnation of measures haftily, which had been taken up and adopted upon fuch weighty motives; that at the time, it was impoffible to foretel precifely how they might anfwer; but that they should have a fair trial before they were reprobated; and that the wifdom and policy of them could be only finally known in the event. That he had information which he would lay before the House foon after the holidays; and that he would fo far adopt the gentleman's ideas who had called upon him, as to propofe the appointment of a committee for taking the affairs of America into confideration.

Much altercation arofe upon this delay in business of fuch vaft importance as the American, and that the papers and all neceffary means of information fhould be fo long retained from the Houfe. Upon thefe occafions, the ridicu

lous and diftreffing fituation in which General Gage and his little army flood in Bofton; at the fame time, in a certain degree, befieging, and themfelves befieged, was a fubject productive of much animadverfion, as well as raillery.

A gentleman in office, and who not long fince had become a convert to the principles of adminiftration, juft before the recefs pulled the mask a little afide, both with refpect to the American buûiness, and to the ftate of the estimates. He faid, that any increase of the one, however necaffary, or the explanations required on the other, would, in the prefent feason, be highly improper; that fuch propofals at the eve of an adjournment, could only be intended to embsrrafs adminiftration; that a compli ance with them, would spread fuch an alarm among the merchants, with refpect to their property, as might be productive of the moft dangerous confequences; and that they were matters only to be entered upon, when the measures at large, and the means of carrying them into execution, were brought together, and connected in one view.

Nothing of any confequence was tranfacted in the Houfe of Lords from the paffing of the address, except that a motion was made, and at length carried, for putting an end to that fcandalous contention with the Commons, by which, ever fince the year 1770, the members of each houfe were interdicted from the other.

CHAP.

T'

HE apprehenfions of the miniftry, that they wou'd meet with a vigorous oppofition from the mercantile intereft in the purfuit of their American measures, were not ill founded. During the recess a general alarm was fpread, and feveral meetings of the great bodies of North-American merchants in London and Bristol were held, where thofe meafures by which they were fo deeply affected, were fully difcuffed, their confequences explained, and petitions to parliament prepared and agreed upon in both places. The times were, however, altered, and fuch an oppofition now, was not productive of the efficacy or danger, which till very lately would have rendered it terrible.

The minifter found the oppofition reinforced from another quarter, which in other times, and other fituations, would have been formidable. The Earl of Chatham, after a long abfence, appeared in the Houfe of Lords, to exprefs his utmoft diffent and difapprobation to the whole fyftem of American meafures. Though his power and influence were from many causes much leffened, his appearance could at no time be wholly without effect.

to his majefty, for recalling the troops from Bofton. This motion was ushered in and fupported by a long fpeech, in which he reprefented this measure as a matter of immediate neceffity; an hour now loft in allaying the ferment in America, might produce years of calamity; the prefent fituation of the troops rendered them and the Americans continually liable to events, which would cut off the poffibility of a reconciliation; this conciliatory meafure, thus well timed; this mark of affection and good-will on our fide, will remove all jealousy and apprehenfion on the other, and initantaneously produce the happieft effects to both. He announced this motion to be introductory to a plan he had formed for a folid, honourable, and lafting fettlement between England and America; he now only fet his foot upon the threshold of peace.

He feverely reprehended adminiftration for eight weeks delay in communicating the American papers, at fo very critical a period. He charged them with deluding and deceiving the people of this country in feveral inftances; by general mifreprefentations of the colonies; by perfuading them that the difputes there were the affair of Boston only, in which the rest were totally unconcerned; and that the appearance of a fingle regiment there, would refore every thing to quiet. He attributed the fudden diffolution of the parliament, to the fame principle of de

ception.