Dundas; the Hon. Mr. Pratt; Mr. Elliot Mr. Aubrey; and other New Members, were introduced and fworn. When the ceremony of fwearing was over, Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox rofe almoft at the fame inftant; and mott violent fhouts procecded from each fide of the Houfe, the one calling on Mr. Fox to fpeak first, the other as loudly on Mr. Pitt. The Speaker informed the latter Gentleman that Mr. Fox was indifputably entitled to speak first, as he had in fact already moved the order of the day, on which he had been about to proceed, when he (the Speaker) interrupted him, while the new Members were fwearing in. Mr. Pitt still folicited for a hearing; he requested it as a favor; and in order to induce the Houfe to grant it to him, he faid he had a Meffage from his Majefty, which he was defirous to deliver to the House. Mr. Fox did not give way to Mr. Pitt's entreaties to be heard; he faid he fhould be glad to find means to refift those entreaties without at the fame time fhewing the leaft mark of difrefpect to the Meffage of the Crown. But he understood that it was not of a nature that would not brook delay; and therefore might as well be delivered at the clofe as at the beginning of the debate. Mr. Fox being fupported by the voice of the House, again moved the order of the day. Mr. Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, then rofe. He was by no means anxious, he faid, to prevent the Houfe from going into the Committee on the State of the Nation, or to keep the Right Hon. Gentleman from the poffeffion of the Houfe, to the gaining of which fuch art and accommodation had been used. He could not be at all furprized, that thofe men who before the recefs had gone fuch ftrange lengths, at a time when thofe perfons who unquestionably ought to be prefent at the difcuffion of all important queftions were This Meffage, which was not delivered till feven o'clock in the morning, was to ac quaint the Houle, that the two last divifions of Heffians from America, had arrived fo late in the year, that the navigation of the Wefer being entirely interrupted by the froft, it had been neceflary to land the troops in England, and to quarter them in Chatham barracks and elsewhere; but that orders had been given for reimbarking them as foon as the Wefer fhould be found navigable. VOL. VI. Jan. 1784. neceffarily abfent, fhould now have proceeded in the fame way, and taken the advantage of abfence to bring on one mea. fure, by which he, as the Minifter of the Crown, fhould be prevented from bring ing down a Meffage from his Majefty. It was not his desire to prevent gentlemen from faying any thing they might imagine would fupport that clamour which they had endeavoured fo infidiously to raise in the country, any thing that would fupport that petulance which they had fhewn before the recefs, that unjustifiable violence and thofe unprecedented fteps which they had taken, for the purpofe of inflaming the country, and exciting jealoufies for which there was no real foundation. He was happy to fee the Houfe met again, that now the Minifters of the Crown might be able to face the affertions, the infinuations that were thrown out, for nothing in the fhape of a charge had been brought forward, nothing had even been attempted to be proved; now they would have it in their power to meet the inquiries and the propofitions that might be agitated in the Committee on the fate of the Nation; and he affured the Houfe, that he should not fhrink from any question, charge, or infinuation which the gentleman on the other fide might chufe to bring against him. At the fame time, however, that he chearfully expreffed his readiness to go into the Cominittee on the State of the Nation, he thought it right that this Committee fhould be delayed for fome fhort time, and he trufted the reafons which he should give would be fatisfactory to the Houfe. It had pleafed his Majefty to command his fervices, at a time, when, however he might feel himself unqualified for the high station of the Minifter of the Crown, he could not think himself juftified in confcience to decline. The Eaft India bill, brought in by the Right Hon. Gentleman, a bill fo violent in its form as to give just reason for alarm to every thinking man, had been, by what powerful management was not for him to fay, hurried through that House. That bill established a fpecies of influence unknown to the conftitution of this country, vefting in the nominees of the Right Honourable Gentleman, a power paramount to every power in the ftate; and he was one of a moft refpectable Minority, who thought, that if it had paffed into a law, the independence of that Houfe, the equilibrium between the three eftates, of the realm, and the beautiful frame of our government, was at an end. That bill paf F fed fed this Houfe, but at the fame time it was the idea of all men, even of thote who objected to that bill, that though it was perfectly unfit to be palled, fome bill was effentially necellary; and he had pledged himself, if it was withdrawn, or thrown out, to propofe one lefs violent in its principle, and, as he thought, more adequate to its purpofes. Would any man object to his moving for leave to bring in that bill? Would not all fides of the Houfe acknowledge, that the first object to be embraced was the India bufinefs? It was for this queftion that the Houfe was impatient. They had thought proper to pre fent an addrefs to the throne, ftating their extreme anxiety to go upon this important purfuit, which they stated to be fo important as to make them dread any interruption whatever. Was it poffible then that they fhould think of interrupting the bufinefs? Was it poffible that they should think of preventing the introduction of a new bill, which was the only way of coming fairly to the bufinefs? Whatever ferious enquiry into the State of the Nation might be meditated afterwards, he fhould think it his duty molt attentively and chcarfully to promote it; but in the mean time he begged the Houfe to confider, that this was the first day when the new Minifters had met them in Parliament. That Ministry was formed, was called by his Majefty into office chiefly on the ground of the India bill. Their firft duty was to frame a lyftem for the Government of India. They had not oppofed the laft bill by cavilling; they had not obje&ed to it from envy to the parents of it. They had oppofed it, because they thought that its objects might be accomplished in a fafer way. This was the point on which they were at iffue. They had not lightly difturbed the Government of the country they had not fet up a captious oppofition an oppofition to Men merely-but they oppofed a most violent meafure, and hav ing overthrown it, they thought it their firft duty to fubftitute a more moderate, a more constitutional fcheme in its place. He had objected to the last bill, because it created a new and enormous influence, by vesting in eertain nominees of the Mini fters, all the patronage of the East. He was now called upon by his duty to bring in a new bill, and if the Houfe, by agreeing with him to poftpone the order of the day, would give him leave to move for leave to bring in his bill, he would ftate all the outlines of his fyftem, as fhortly and precifely as he could. He uufted that he should not be prevented, becaufe the Right Honourable Gentleman had foreftalled the Houfe, by rifing at a time when thofe perfons were abfent whofe duty it was to conduct official bufinefs, and he hoped the Houfe in general would agree with him in voting against the order of the day. Mr. Erskine, in a very long and animated (peech, replied to what had fallen from Mr. Pitt. Mr. Erfkine began with remarking on the peculiar circumftance of Mr. Pitt's having termed himself the Minifer of the Crown. The Minifter, Mr. Erkine faid, was a name neither known nor acknowledged by the British constitution, nor often affumed by any of the King's fervants themselves, however that title might fometimes be afcribed to them by others! Mr. Erfkine proceeded in very fpirited terms to call on Mr. Pitt, having avowed himself the Minifter, to fay whether they were at the moment of death or not. He expariated with great force and energy on the dangers of a diffolution in fuch critical circumstances. "He ftigmatifed the late difmiflion of Minifters as a wanton exercife of power, an unneceflary difturbance of government, big with evil confequences. He faid, as far as any man could judge from appearances the late Miniftry were difmiffed for no other reason than because they enjoyed a full poffeffion of the confidence of the people, and the new Minifters had been called in upon no other oftenfible reafon than becaufe they did not enjoy that confidence. He parodied the fpeeches of Hamlet on the pictures of his father and uncle with a felicitous propriety, and applied them to Mr. Pitt in joint oppofition with Mr. Fox formerly, and battening on the Treasury Bench now with the compas nions that sat around him. Look here upon this picture, and on this : tongue like his to foften or command, Look you now what follows: Dark, fecret influence, like a mildew'd eas, Mr. Erfkine was for the order of the day. Sir Harry Houghton made a fhort speech, and was anfwered by Mr. Erskine, who fpoke in explanation.. Mr. Powys recommended moderation, temper, and forbearance. He declared his fixed difapprobation of Mr. Fox's India bill, and expreffed his hopes of the bill to be brought in by the right honourable gentleman, now at the head of the Treatury. He faid, to fee that gentleman, in office, as he was at prefent fituated, was not matter of triumph, or fatisfaction to him, great as he acknowledged his predilection for the right honourable gentleman to be. He applied the Latin line of Quicquid delirant Reges, pl: luntur Achiri, to the conduct of the late Minifters, and faid, the proceedings of that Houfe before the recefs had been fuch, that his having been in the country while they were in agitation, caufed him no regret, nor did he take thame to himfelf for his abfence. Sooner than vote refolution after refolution, in the manner in which they were about to proceed; he advited the right honourable gentleman to go the full length of the matter at once, and bring in a bill to perpetuate the existence of the prefent Parliament. plained of by the Suitors as a great griev ance, a feature in which he was by no means refembled by his modern prototype. Lord Somers was remarkably affable, pliant, polite, and good humoured- -Here indeed the relemblance was clofe and appofite. In this manner he proceeded for fome time, he then went into a feries of arguments on the constitution, and the conftitutional exercife of the Royal prerogatives, and of the privileges of Parliament and the people; contending very rationally, that both were moft wifely exercifed, when exercifed moft moderately. In the courfe of this differtation, he dif cufled the prerogative of diffolution fully, admitted it in its ampleft extent, but deprecated its being unwifely exercifed in the middle of a feffion, and pending the progrefs of bills of Supply. He faid, in the Committee he had two or three propofitions to urge, that concerning the prefervation of the existence of the Houfe, and on which the freedom of debate in future effentially depended. He fhewed, that the point at iffue berween him and the right honourable gentleman was not, whether we fhould proceed to entertain one bill for the better government of India or another, but whether they should put themfelves in a fituation to debate fuch a bill freely, unawed by the terrors of diffolution, and unrestrained by any doubts of the certainty of their exiflence before they received the bill? Or whether they fhould rafhly and madly receive the bill firft, and difcufs it under the utmost alarm, doubt, and uncertainty. feemed to fpeak with confiderable force of reafoning. Lord Mulgrave was against the order of the day. Mr. Fox in a moft ingenious and able fpeech replied to Mr. Powys and Mr. Pitt. He began with declaring that a recommendation of moderation and forbearance came with the worst grace imaginable from Mr. Powys, who had before the recefs treated him with repeated perfonal afperity. He loved moderation fo well, however, that he was glad to hear it re- Lord Mulgrave answered, but was very commended even by Mr. Powys. Heill heard, though his lordfhip, as ufual, afked that gentleman what wonderful cause it was that had produced fo new an effect, and made the chief employer of afperity, before Christmas, the first man to stand up the advocate of forbearance after the holidays. He next took notice of Mr. Pitt's having called himfelf the Minifter of the Crown, and faid, the right honourable gentleman had given himfelf a true title. He was, indeed, the Minifter of the Crown, for he could not be called the Minifter of the Houfe of Commons, nor the Minifter of the people. He also retorted on Lord Mulgrave for what he had Lord North rofe, to anfver this, and faid relative to Lord Somers in a former grounded his firft argument on Mr. Pultedebate, and drew a humourous compa-ney's having difpelled the mist of doubt rifon between that great character, and an, and introduced. certainty. It was now eminent profeffional character, that his no longer a queftion whether they were lordship had called the modern Lord So- to be diffolved or not, the honourable genmers. He faid Lord Somers was remark- tleman had made it evident they were, able for his delay, which had been com- and had contended that the prefent was of F 2 Mr. Pulteney met the queftion of diffolution immediately, and not only admit ted the Crown to poffefs the prerogative, but argued that this might poffibly be the fitteft feafon for exercifing it, Mr. Pultce ney contended, that Mr. Fox's propofitions might force on the very circumftance, he profuffed a defire to prevent, and precipitate the diffolution of Parlia ment. P all all others the moft fit season for the Crown to exercife its prerogative. His lordship fully admitted the Crown poffeffed the prerogative, but he faid, the King that relied on the fcare-crow prerogative folely, muft ever be nobody; on the contrary, the King who placed his chief fecurity in the confidence of the people, fpoken through the medium of their reprefentatives, would not only be fomebody; but a British Monarch, trufting to fuch fupport, muft ever be the moft great and glorious Prince in Europe. His lordship raifed a laugh, by talking of the want of tenderness in Minifters expofing gentlemen, at that hard and fevere season, to all the inclemency of the weather, and fending them through froft and fnow, to the ultima thule, and as far as the artic circle. Mr. Dundas very ably replied, and appealed to the paffions of the Houfe as powerfully as we ever witneffed fuch an appeal urged within thofe wall. He endeavoured to perfuade the majority that they were grofsly infulted in having their names handed about as the property of the right honourable gentleman, merely because they had voted for his India bill; and urged them to break their bonds and act for themselves. Mr. Dundas alfo indulged himself in a vein of humour, that created a good deal of laughter; he cautioned Lord North against the danger of ufing ridiculous epithets, and faid, he fhould not wonder in a few days to fee a lufty figure, a ftriking refemblance of his lordship, ftick up in the print-fhop windows, with the words, "fcarecrow Prerogative" coming out of his mouth. He also faid, that the expreffion a learned friend of his had been faid to ufe refpecting charters, though he was himself perfuaded he never meant to speak lightly of them, had been ridiculed, and in a pamphlet he had feen, it was said, that cant phrafes were cafily hit off; and that if an Attorney General afked" What is a Charter, but a piece of parchment with a lump of wax at the corner of it?" It was as eafy to fay, "What is an Attorney General hanging on a gibbet, but a dead carcafe dangling at the end of a rope?" General Conway spoke warmly for the queftion of the order of the day, and called up Mr. Pitt, by declaring he expected to hear an answer from that gentleman, whether the words put into his Majefty's mouth extended further than merely to intimate that Parliament thould meet a gain. The General declared he thought Miniftry bound to fatisfy Parliament explicitly on a point of fo much importance. Mr. Pitt role, and very ably replied to a variety of matters that had been urged against him in the course of the debate, as well on the ground of fecret influence, as on the principles on which he had come into adminiftration. He declared, be came up no back flairs, that when he was fent for by his Sovereign, to know whether he would accept of office, he neceffarily went to the royal clofet: that he knew of no fecret influence, and that his own integrity would be his guardian against that danger; but the Houfe might reft affured, whenever he difcovered any he would not ftay a moment longer in office. He would neither have the meannels to act upon the advice of others, nor the hypocrify to pretend, when the meatures of an adminiftration, in which he had a fhare, were blamed, that they were measures not of his advifing. With regard to the queftions put to him, as to the diffolution it did not become him to comment on the words of a moft gracious anfwer of the Sovereign delivered from the Throne. Neither would he prefume to compromise the Royal prerogative; or bargain it away in the Houfe of Coinmons. When his nonourable friend, in whofe hands, he confidered his honour to be as fafe as in his own, before the recefs, in his name, and by his authority, pledged himself to the Houfe, that he [Mr. Pitt] would not advife a diffolution, fuch at that time had been his real fentiments; he could not at prefent fay more, but he hoped neverthelefs the Houfe would now confent to receive and go into the confideration of his India bill. He Lord North rofe and warmly replied to Mr. Pitt's attack upon him, which he declared was the moft grofs and fcandalous he had ever heard in Parliament. flatly and explicitly denied the charge of acting either meanly or hipocritically on any occafion whatever. His lordship fully explained his conduct and having fatisfactorily cleared himself, defired to give back the terms, meannefs and hipocrify, to the right honourable gentleman. They might belong to him, he would have nothing to do with fuch epithets. Lord John Cavendish, in a fhort speech, lamented that the prerogative of the Crown fhould have been of late fo often mentioned. He faid, he had heard it more frequently within thofe walls during the laft ten months, than the preceding thirty years. Mr. Mr. Sheridan attacked Mr. Pitt in terms of great feverity. He faid, if the right honourable gentleman applied hard words to other gentlemen, he should take the liberty of attacking him with the fame weapons. The right honourable gentleman had behaved that day not only with the utmoft hipocrify and meanness, but had held the moft iniulting language, and the most unconftitutional, he had ever heard. He reminded the Houfe of Mr. Banks's words, before the recess, when he had pledged himself to the Houfe, as he declared, by the authority of the right honourable gentleman, that there fhould be no diffolution or prorogation of Parliament, and had faid, his right honourable friend not only would not advife any fuch meature, but would hold himfelf bound to quit Le office, if any fuch measure was adopted by his colleagues. Mr. Sheridan reminded the Houfe alfo,, that Mr. Banks had defired to be furnished with fronge language, to express what he faid in the House, if the Houfe were not fatisfied with his words. Mr. Sheridan alio attacked Mr. Dundas with confiderable poignancy, wit, and humour. After anfwering the ferious parts of his argument, he touched upon the pleafant points in his fpeech, and faid, it was fo unufual for the learned gentleman to indulge himself in merriment, that he prefumed the fuccefs that had attended the arts practifed to corrupt the majority during the recefs, had given him a new flow of fpirits, and encouraged him to think he fhould keep his place. The learned gentleman feemed to be in better humour with newfpa pers than ufual; his fpcech, he faid, might fairly be deemed hints for paragraphs, and Sketches for prints. He did not doubt but his hint was already taken, and that the next morning they would fee the print he had recommended; he hoped, however, they would be favoured with a companion, and that another figure, a ftriking likeness of the learned gentleman would be engraved, with a feroll out of his mouth, on which should be written “ Ap-. peal to the people." Another print might alfo contain a fimilar figure, and underneath might be wrote "An Advocate for Chartered Rights." Which might be fymbolically expreffed by his holding his own India bill in his hand. After diverting the House exceffively with thefe and other laughable ideas, Mr. Sheridan returned to seriousness, and read a passage from the Journals in the reign of Charles II. to fhew that fecret influence then pre 1 vailed, and what was not a little remark. able, he faid, was, the agent's name was Temple, but he happened to be only in progrefs to nobility, and was a fimple baTonet, not a peer.-We lament, that we cannot follow Mr. Sheridan farther, next to that of Mr. Fox, (who ought to be placed out of all, comparifon, generally peaking, as he certainly is an unparal lelled debater) Mr. Sheridan's was by far the moft ingenious, the moft pointed, and the most pleasant speech in the whole de bate. Mr. Banks role to explain, what he had faid in the debate of December 22, as referred to by General Conway and Mr. Sheridan, and recapitulated pretty circumftantially what he had faid and what had pailed during his fpeech, but he declared he did not remember the exact words, in which his right honourable friend had commiffioned him to affert, that he would not advise a diffolution. GEN. ROSS AND EARL OF GALLOWAY. General Rofs faid, that having in confequence of an invitation waited upon a noble Earl, a Member of the Upper House, he was afked by him what he thought of the times? He answered that he thought them very extraordinary. The noble Lord then told him that he had feen his (the General's) name in a lift that was handed about, of perfons fuppofed to be hoftile to the prefent Administrations he replied that he had not given any perfon authority to difpofe of his vote; he was a plain man, very willing to ferve his King, whom he had already ferved for 38 years at the expence of fome of his blood; and was ready to ferve him again profeffionally, when called upon; but as a Member of Parliament he would purfue his own judgment; and very probably he would vote against the prefent Minifry. The noble Lord then told him that whoever fhould vote against them would be looked upon " as the KING'S ENEMY." He was fo hurt at this, that he refolved to lay the affair before the Houfe, though he wished not to give up the name of the noble lord. Lord Maitland wifhed the Honourable General, if he would not give up the name, would at least inform the House whether the noble Lord has any place under the Crown. General Rofs replied, that he was a Lord of the Bedchamber. (The Earl of Galloway. This created an uproar in the House. Mr. Lee faid there was now evidence of fecret influence, and fo alarming indeed, that |