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CHA P. V.

Lord Chatham's conciliatory bill with refpect to America. Debates. The bill rejected. Petition from the Weft-India planters, and the merchants of London, to the House of Commons. Address to the Throne moved for in that Houfe, by the Minifter. Great debates; amendment moved for; rejected; original motion for the addrefs carried by a great majority. Motion for re-committing the addrefs, upon receiving the report from the committee. Debates longer than before. The motion rejected. Conference avith the Lords. Petition from the merchants and planters to the Lords. Debate on a point of order, whether the petitions fhould be received, previous to the making of a motion for filling up the blanks in the address. Motion made. Previous question put. Great debates, both with respect to the previous question, and the fubject of the address. Motion for the previous question rejected by a great majority; original motion by which the Lord's concurred with the Commons in the addrefs, agreed to. Protefts.

TH

HE noble Earl, who lately made a motion in the Houfe of Lords for the recall of the troops from Bofton, not difcouraged at the great majority by which his motion was rejected, till perfevered in the profecution of that conciliatory fcheme with America, which he then in part announced, and to which that motion was only introductory. He accordingly Feb. 1. brought into that Houfe

the cutlines of a bill, which he hoped would anfwer that falutary purpofe, under the title of " A provifional act for fettling the troubles in America, and for afferting the fupreme legislative authority and fuperintending power of GreatBritain over the colonies."

He intreated the affiftance of the Houfe to digeft the crude materials, which, thrown together in the nature of a bill, he now prefumed to lay before them; to bring and reduce the whole to that form, which was fuited to the dignity and importance of the fubject, and to the great ends to which it was ulti

mately directed. He called on them to exercife their candour, and deprecated the effects of party or prejudice; of factious fpleen, or a blind predilection. He declared himself to be actuated by no narrow principle, or perfonal confideration whatever; and faid, that though the propofed bill might be looked upon as a bill of conceffion, it was impoffible but to confefs, at the fame time, that it was a bill of affertion.

This bill caufed a great variety of difcuffions within and without doors. The ministry found it a propofition of reconciliation by conceffion, which was caufe fufficient (independently of the obnoxious quarter from whence it came) to induce them to reject it; their plan being at that time, tho' a little varied afterwards, to shew a firm refolution not to give way, in any inftance, whilft the oppofition in America continued. Others faid, that the bill contained a multiplicity of matter. Many of its parts were liable to, and feemed to re

quire

quire much feparate difcuffion they were fo numerous, and fo various in their nature, that the aggregate mafs appeared too great to be comprized in one draught. As it was in a great meafure conditional, its operation depended, not only on the confent, but the acts of others; and a long time might elapfe before it could be certainly known, whether it was or was not to operate. He laid down, as a condition not to be controverted, and upon which all the benefits of the act depended, a full acknowledgment of the fupremacy of the legislature, and the fuperintending power of the British parliament. It did not abfolutely decide in words upon the right of taxation, but partly as a matter of grace, and partly, to appearance, as a compromife, declared and enacted, that no tallage, tax, or other charge fhall be levied in America, except by common confent in their provincial aflemblies; a manner of conceffion, which feems to imply the right. It afferts, as an undoubted prerogative, the royal right to fend any part of a legal army to any part of its dominions, at all times, and in all feafons, and condemns a paffage in the petition from the continental congrefs, which militates with that right; but, as a falvo, declares, that no military force, however legally raised and kept, can ever be lawfully employed to viclate and deftroy the juft rights of the people; a declaration which, it was faid, would afford little relief to a people groaning under the preffure of a military government; as whoever held the word, would decide upon the queftion of law.

This bill legalized the holding of a congrefs in the enfuing month

of May, for the double purpose of duly recognizing the fupreme legiflative authority and fuperintending power of parliament over the colonies, and for making a free grant to the King, his heirs and fucceffors, of a certain and perpetual revenue, fubject to the difpofition of parliament, and applicable to the alleviation of the national debt. Taking it for granted that this free aid would bear an honourable proportion to the great and flourishing ftate of the colonies, the neceflities of the mother country, and their obligations to her; on these conditions, it restrained the powers of the admiralty courts to their ancient limits, and without repealing, fufpended for a limited time thofe late acts, or parts of acts, which had been complained of in the petition from the continental congrefs. It placed the judges upon the fame footing, as to the holding of their falaries and offices, with thofe in England: and fecured to the colonies all the privileges, franchifes and immunities, granted by their feveral charters and conftitutions.

The noble Lord, at the head of the American department, behaved with great moderation. He faid, that the bill took in fuch a variety of matter, that it was impoffible to pronounce any immediate opinion concerning its propriety; and that as its noble author did not feem to prefs the Houle to any immediate decifion, but appeared rather defirous that it should be maturely and fully confidered, he fuppofed it would be agreeable to him, and he would have no objection to receive it upon that condition, that it fhould lie upon the table till the American papers were first taken into confideration.

Whether

Whether refpect for the framer of the bill, or whatever the motives were that induced this conceflion, they had no effect on the other Lords in administration, who oppoled it with fo much heat, as to forget that attention which its author, and the importance of the fubject, feemed to demand. It is unutual in parliament to reject, on the first propofition, any bill for an object allowed to be neceffary; and promifing, however faintly or rudeJy, any plan for obtaining the end propofed. But the proceeding on this occafion was different. They condemned, without referve, the bill in the whole, and in all its parts; and cenfured the mode of bringing it in, as irregular, unparliamentary, and unprecedented; that it was impoffible to conceive how fuch a mass of matter, fo important in its nature, fo extenfive in its confequences, and directed to fuch a variety of objects, each of them worthy of a feparate confideration, could be thus brought forward together, and in fuch a manner; that the matter fhould have been laid before the Houfe in feparate proportions, each of which should be fingly difcuffed, as leading to one great comprehensive system.

It was befides contended, that this bill fell in with the ideas of America in almost every particular, and held out no one fecurity; that fhould we be bafe and daftardly enough to betray the rights of the parliament of Great-Britain, the Americans would only agree to thole parts of it that fuited their own views, and totally difclaim thofe that were held out as matters of fubmiflion or conceflion. But above all other caufes it was condemned, as not only giving a fanc

tion to the traiterous proceedings of the congrefs already held, but by the appointment of another, to legalize fuch meetings by act of parliament.

It was faid, that the fufpenfion of thofe acts, propofed in the bill, would, to every fubftantial purpose, amount to an actual repeal; that if the laws for eftablishing the admiralty courts were repealed, the ac of navigation would be of no farther avail, and become only a dead letter. The rebellious temper and hoftile difpofition of the Americans was much enlarged upon; that they were not difputing about words, but about realities; that though the duty upon tea was the pretence, the reftrictions upon their commerce, and the hope of throwing them off, were the real motives of their disobedience: that they had already attacked and taken one of the King's forts, and feized his ftores and ammunition, to employ them against himself; that if any thing can conftitute rebellion, this muft; that this was no time for conceffion; and that, to concede now, would be to give the point up for ever. It was therefore moved, and ftrongly fupported by all the Lords on that fide, that the bill fhould be rejected in the firft inflance.

The noble framer defended himfelf and his bill from the numerous attacks which were made on both, with great fpirit and vigour. The indignity which was offered, feemed to renew all the fire of youth; and he retorted the farcafms, which were levelled upon him from different quarters, with a moft pointed feverity. If he was charged with hurrying this business in an unusual and irregular manner into parlia

ment,

ment, he placed it to the critical neceffity of the times; to the wretched inability and incapacity of the minifters, who, though they declared all America to be in rebellion, had not, at this late feafon, a plan to propofe, or a fyftem to purfue, for the adjustment of public affairs; that under fuch circumftances of emergency on one fide, when perhaps a fingle day might determine the fate of this great empire; and fuch a fhameful negligence, inattention, and want of ability on the other, no alternative remained, but either to abandon the interests of his country, and relinquish his duty, or to propofe fuch measures as feemed the moft capable of reftoring peace and quiet. He then called upon the fervants of the crown to declare, whether they had any plan, however deficient, to lay before the Houfe? And that if they had, he would fet them an example of candour which they by no means deferved, by instantly withdrawing the prefent bill.

Though it was evident, that no previous concert had been held with the Lords in oppofition, in respect to this bill, and that few of them, perhaps, would have approved of it in all its parts if there had; yet they all felt, as in their own cafe, the infult offered, and the contempt fhewn, by throwing it out in this abrupt and difgraceful manner. The most moderate contended, that both the framer and fome of the matter of the bill deferved a better reception; that they were entitled to a fair hearing and a free difcuffion; that it would convey to foreigners, as well as natives, very unfavourable ideas of the juftice of that Houfe, and of its

hoftile difpofition towards the colonies, if the first propofitions that were made, for the restoration of peace and harmony, were to be rejected in fo har fh and unprecedented a manner, without even affording them a fair hearing. Conciliatory measures fhould at least be examined, whether it were found eligible to adopt them or not. The bill was in their hands; they might ftrike out the objectionable parts; and undoubtedly they would find many which it might be highly ufeful to retain.

This debate of courfe called up the whole of the American affairs, which accordingly underwent much. difcuffion. On one fide, the dangers of a civil war were fhewn, as well with refpect to its domestic as foreign confequences, and its miferies ftrongly painted; our prefent calamitous fituation deplored, and the men and the measures execrated that involved us in fuch a labyrinth of evils. On the other, the dangers were in part leffened, and those that were fuppofed, refpecting foreign ftates, denied; the confequent evils of rebellion were incident to dominion and government; and, in the prefent inftance, fprung entirely from the original traiterous defigns, hoftile intentions, and rebellious difpofition of the Americans. The nature of the fubjects, and the state of temper on both fides, produced much warmth, fevere altercation, and even perfonal animadverfion.

After a long and most pointed debate, the bill was rejected by a majority of 61 to 32; not being even aliowed to lie upon the table. Upon this question his Royal Highnefs the Duke of Cumberland voted in the minority.

The

The day after this debate, a petition was prefented to the Houfe of Commons, from the planters of the fugar colonies refiding in GreatBritain, and the merchants of London trading to thofe colonies. In this petition they fet forth, how exceedingly they were alarmed at the affociation and agreement entered into by the continental congrefs, in confequence of which all trade between North America and the West Indies were to cease at a given day, unless the acts of parliament therein fpecified were repealed by that time. They stated, that the British property in the Weft India islands amounted to upwards of thirty millions fterling; that a further property of many millions was employed in the commerce created by the faid iflands; a commerce comprehending Africa, the East Indies, and Europe; and that the whole profits and produce of thofe capitals ultimately center in Great-Britain, and add to the national wealth, while the navigation neceffary to all its branches, eftablishes a ftrength which wealth can neither purchase nor balance.

They fhewed, that the fugar plantations in the Weft-Indies are fubject to a greater variety of contingencies than many other fpecies of property, from their neceffary dependance on external fupport; that therefore, fhould any interruption happen in the general fyftem of their commerce, the great national flock, thus vefted and employed, muft become precarious and unprofitable; and that the profits arifing from the prefent ftate of thofe islands, and that are likely to arife from their future improvement, in a great measure depend on a free and reciprocal intercourfe

between them and the feveral provinces of North America, from whence they are furnished with provifions and other fupplies, abfolutely neceffary for their fupport and the maintenance of their plantations.

They then proceed to fhew, that they could not be fupplied from any other markets, and in any degree proportionate to their wants, with thofe articles of indifpenfable neceffity, which they now derive from the middle colonies of North America; and that if the agreement and affociation of the congrefs take full effect, which they firmly believe will happen, unless the former harmony which fubfifted between this kingdom and the American colonies, to the infinite advantage of both, be restored, the iflands, will be reduced to the utmoft diftrefs. This petition, like all the former upon the fame subject, was referred to the established petition committee.

The time was at length arrived, when the minister thought proper to open his defigns with refpect to America. On the day, upon which the Weft-India petition had been prefented, he in a long fpeech recapitulated the information contained in thofe American papers which had been referred to the committee; he then proceeded to difcriminate the temper, difpofition, and degrees of refiftance, that prevailed in the feveral colonies; to point out thofe where moderation really prevailed; with others, where, he faid, violence was concealed under the mask of duty and fubmiffion; and finished the group by naming those which he confidered to be in a state of actual rebellion. He afferted, that feveral

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