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pole, the fpoils of the New-England fishery; this they reprefent to be a scheme full of weakness and indecency; of indecency, becaufe it may be fufpected that the defire of the confifcation has created the guilt; and of weakness, because it fuppofes, that whatever is taken from the colonies is of courfe to be transferred to ourselves. But this proteft is particularly diflinguifhed, by the fevere cenfure paffed upon a Lord high in office, who, in the late debates, to remove all apprehenfion of the dangers which might arife from the meafures that were in agitation, threw out, moft unadvisedly, a charge of

general cowardice against the Americans.

The amendment, made by the Lords, caufed a difagreement between the title and body of the bill, which would have caufed great embarraffment to the officers who were to carry it into execution; and the amendment was accordingly rejected by the Commons. This matter occafioned the holding of a conference, a few days after, between the two Houfes, at which, the reafons offered by the Commons, having appeared iatisfactory, the Lords agreed in rejecting the amendment; and the bill received the royal affent on the 30th of March.

CHA P. VII.

Augmentation of the naval and land forces. Lord North's conciliatory motion. Debates. The refolution paffed upon a divifion. Mr. Sawbridge's annual motion. Annual motion on the Middlesex election. Petition and memorial from the affembly of Jamaica. Petition from the city of Waterford. Bill for reftraining the trade of the fouthern colonies. Evidence in behalf of the Weft-India merchants and planters. Great importance of the fugar islands. Mr. Burke's conciliatory propofitions. Great importance, and aftonishing growth of the American colonies. Debates. The previous question moved and carried. Mr. Hartley's conciliatory motion. Debates on the third reading of the restraining bill. The bill paffed. Petitions, militating with each other. Petition from the British jettlers in Canada-from the Quakers. Addrefs, remonftrance, and petition, from the city of London. Encouragement to the fisheries of Great-Britain and Ireland. Motion for bringing up the reprefentation and remonftrance of the General Affembly of New-York. Motion for an amendment put and carried. Amended motion rejeaed. Memorial to the Lords from the fame affembly, and petition to the King. Memorial to the Lords rejected. Petition to the Lords from the British inhabitants of the province of Quebec. Lord.Camden's bill for repealing the Quebec act. Debates. The bill rejected. Petition from the fame inhabitants of Quebec to the House of Commons. Sir George Savile's motion for repealing the Quebec act. Motion rejected upon a divifion. Speaker's speech. Speech from the throne.

T
HE New England reftraining
act was fo much the prin-
cipal figure in this important fef-

fion, that in attending to its progrefs we paffed over other matters of which we are now to take notice.

Upon

Feb. 13th.

Upon a motion for an addition of 2000 feamen to be employed for the enfuing year, the minifters were reminded of their conduct before Christmas, in deceiving the country gentlemen with the appearances of a reduced peace establishment, and thereby leading them gradually into violent and coercive measures, each of which was fuppofed to be the laft, while they were rendered incapable of feeing at any one point of view, either the extent of the expence in which they were involving their conftituents, or of the danger in which they were plunging themselves and the nation. This mode of proceeding was reprefented as an high infult to the House, and an open mockery of that good faith and confidence, that ought to fubfift between the Minifter and the Commons; and that the application now for a grant of 2000 feamen, when they knew that five times the number would not be fufficient to carry their defigns into execution, was an aggravated repetition of the infult; that this mode of procedure was befides calculated to give a full opening to that ruinous practice of gaming in the funds, whereby thofe in the fecret of affairs had an opportunity of making immenfe fortunes at the public expence.

The ministers avoided all precife explanation as to future applications for fupply: they could not pretend to foretel what events might poffibly happen, and could not therefore bind themselves by any fpecific engagement; but they hoped that this would be the laft application of the kind. The infinuation as to the funds was univerfally difclaimed, and the motion for the augmentation agreed to.

The fubject was however brought up, and the fame objections made two days after, upon a motion in the committee of fupply, for an augmentation of 4,383 men to the land forces. This motion was attended with an explanation of the intended military arrangements, by which it appeared, that the force at Bofton would be augmented to about 10,000 men, which was deemed fufficient for enforcing the laws; and that the appointment of a number of additional officers, (a meafure which was complained of, as incurring a needlefs expence) was neceffary, as it was intended to carry on the operations against the Americans by detachments.

This mode of carrying on the war, was much condemned on the other fide for its cruelty; for the indifcriminate deftruction of friends as well as foes, with which it mult be attended; and the total ruin of a country which we confidered as our own, and which must be the inevitable confequence, if the meafure could at all fucceed. But it was infifted, that the force, both by fea and land, was totally inade quate to the purpofe for which it was ordained; and that the national money was to be fquandered away, without a poffible return of advantage, or even a probability of its attaining the ends to which it was directed. For, they faid, that the ufe of an infignificant force muft infallibly have the effect of encouraging the colonies to that refift ance, which it was poffible the early appearance of a great fleet and army might awe and check in the beginning. The augmentation was carried without difficulty./

Whilst parties thus pursued their debates with much eagerness and animofity, and nothing but de

tion to us, we shall be ready to afford them every juft and reasonable indulgence;"-he, however, seemed to build more upon the principles by which he was actuated in moving for that addrefs, and the explanations he then made to the House, than upon the literal conflruction of any part of it. He faid, that it was his sense, and he believed it to be the fenfe of the Houfe, that parliament, in the paffing of that addrefs, not only meant to fhew the Americans its firm determination in the support of its juft rights; but alfo its tenderness, and conciliatory difpofition, upon the making of proper conceffions; and that particularly, upon the great object of difpute, the point of taxation, although they could never give up the right, and muft always maintain the doctrine that every part of the empire was bound to bear its share of service and burthen in the common defence; yet, as to the mode of contribution, if that, and not the question of right, was the bone of contention, if the Americans would propofe fuch means as were moft agreeable to themselves, and at the fame time would effectually answer the end, parliament would not hesitate a moment to fufpend the exercise of the right; and that they would concede to the Americans the authority of raising their share of the contribution themselves.

fiance was hurled at America on the part of government, the noble Lord at the head of adminiftration amazed all parties, and feemed for a time almoft to diffolve his own, by that famous conciliatory motion with respect to America, which was then, and has been fince, the fubject of so much difcuffion. The motion was for paffing the following refolution:-That when the governor, council and affembly, or general court of his Majesty's provinces or colonies, fhall propofe to make provifion, according to their refpective conditions, circumftances and fituations, for contributing their proportion to the common defence, fuch proportion to be raised under the authority of the general court, or general affembly of fuch province or colony, and difpofable by parliament; and fhall engage to make provifion alfo for the fupport of the civil government, and the adminiftration of juftice in fuch province or colony, it will be proper, if fuch propofal fhould be approved of by his Majefty in parliament, and for fo long as fuch provifion fhall be made accordingly, to forbear, in refpect of fuch province or colony, to levy any duties, tax, or affeffment, or to impofe any further duty, tax, or affeffment, except only fuch duties as it may be expedient to impofe for the regulation of commerce; the nett produce of the duties last mentioned, to be carried to the account of fuch province, colony, or plantation respectively.

The minifter introduced this motion by a long fpeech, in which he endeavoured to fhew that it was founded upon the late addrefs, particularly the following paffage "and whenever any of the colonies hall make a proper applica

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ditions were upon which it might be obtained. This refolution mark. ed the ground on which negociation might take place; it was explicit, it defined the terms, fpecified the perfons from whom the propofals must come, and to whom they must be made; it pointed out the end and purpofe for which the contributions were to be given, and the perfons from whom the grant of them was to originate; and it takes away every ground of fufpicion as to the application of the revenue to purpotes for which the Americans would not grant their money, by its specific appropriation to the public defence.

That this refolution would be an infallible touchftone to try the fincerity of the Americans; if their profeffions are real, and their oppofition only founded upon the principles which they pretend, they muft, confiftently with thofe principles, agree with this propofition; but if they are actuated by finifter motives, and have dangerous defigns in contemplation, their refufal of thefe terms will expofe them to the world. We fhall then be prepared, and know how to act; after having fhewn our wifdom, our justice, and our humanity, by giving them an opportunity of redeeming their paft faults, and holding out to them fitting terms of accommodation; if they reject them, we fhall be juftified in taking the most coercive measures, and they must be answerable to God and man for the confequences.

He declared himself of opinion, that no declaration of his, or even of the House itself, could bind to an adherence ftrictly to any former refolution relative to the fubmiffion to be required of the colonies, pre

vious to a relaxation on our fide. That the greatest nations, this nation included, had often made the moft folemn declarations, and entered into the most religious engagements to adhere unalterably to certain points, which afterwards, when circumftances changed, they departed from without fcruple and without blame. He inftanced in the late Spanish war, in which we declared, that we fhould never make peace unless the point of fearch was given up; yet peace was made without giving up the fearch. In the grand alliance, the parties engaged to each other that no prince of the Houfe of Bourbon fhould fit on the throne of Spain; yet peace was made with a prince of the Houfe of Bourbon fitting on that throne. He cited many other inftances of a like dereliction of objects, and difplayed great hiftorical knowledge and ability in applying it. He added, that in this inftance he was the more ready to give way, because it was found by expe'rience, that befides the difpleasure our attempt to tax had caused in the colonies, the refult proved very unproductive in point of revenue, from the want of a local knowledge of the best methods of impofing and collecting the duties.

Upon the first bruit of conciliatory measures being propofed by the minifter, it was furmifed, that he was either going to refign, and would first make a difavowal of thofe public meafures which had been lately purfued, or that from fome ftrange convulfion in the internal cabinet, the whole political fftem of government was to be changed; all thofe members who were within hearing accordingly hattened to the House, with the

moft

moft eager expectation. Nor was the aftonishment lefs within doors. From fome perplexity in its conftruction, and obfcurity in the words, the extent or drift of the motion was not immediately comprehended. The courtiers looked at each other with amazement, and feemed at a lofs in what light to confider the minifter. That numerous high prerogative party, who always loved a ftrong government, in whatever hands it might be lodged, and accordingly had, upon principle, ever oppofed any relaxation in favour of the colonies, heard the propofitions with horror, and confidered themselves as abandoned and betrayed. Even fome of the old ftaunch friends of government, who had always gone with every administration, and uniformly purfued the fame line of conduct in all changes of men and measures, began now more than to waver. In a word, the treasury benches feemed to totter, and that minifterial phalanx, which had been fo long irrefiftible, ready to break, and to fall into irretrievable diforder.

The oppofition to the minifter's motion, accordingly originated on his own fide. They afferted, that the propofitions contained in it, fo far from being founded upon, were in direct oppofition to every principle and idea of the addrefs; that by adopting it, they must give up every ground they had gone upon in the whole courfe of American meafures; that it was a contradiction to all the acts and declarations of parliament; that even upon the principles of the gentlemen in oppofition, (to whom it was intended as a means of paying court) it could be productive of no good confequence; but upon their own, would VOL. XVIII. 1775.

be attended with numberlefs bad ones; that the propofal was, in effect, an acknowledgment of fomething really grievous in the idea of taxing America by parliament; that it was therefore a shameful prevarication, and a mean departure from principle. They finally concluded, that they would make no conceffions to rebels with arms in their hands; and that they would enter into no measure for a fettlement with the Americans, in which an exprefs and definitive acknowledgment from them, of the fupremacy of parliament, was not a preliminary article. So high was the diffatisfaction on this fide, that a motion was made for the chairman of the committee to quit the chair. The minister was repeatedly called upon his legs, either to make explanations, or to endeavour to reconcile feeming contradictions.

In this ftate of diforder and confufion, when all government and command feemed at an end, it was found neceffary to change the ground of argument. This task fell to the lot of a gentleman of the long robe, who had been for fome years in oppofition, and had lately diftinguished himself for his zeal in promoting all the meafures for reducing the colonies. This learned gentleman undertook to interpret the fpeech and motion, and to prove that nothing lefs was meant or effected by either than a dereliction of the claims or right of parliament, or a yielding in any degree to the infolence of the Americans; but, on the contrary, a more wife and effectual method of enforcing the rights of the one and repreffing the infolence of the other. As the fpeech of the noble propofer had feemed chiefly addreffed to the op[*G]

pofition.

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