thefe juft expectations of the House, had determined him at the time to take the fenfe of the Houte upon the fobject: he had accordingly framed a refolution to the following ef'feat. "That for any of his Majefty's confidential Minifters in that House to refuse to the House an explanation of the fenfe in which fuch Minifter underflunds a speech or an anfwer of bis Maj-fly, is contrary to the ancient and uniform practice of former Nimfers; and tends to produce unneccf Jary applications to his Majefly and is difrefpect ful to his Majesty and to the iloufe." Mr. Eden proceeded next to flate the two objects of his motion; the first was to aftertain the exiflence of a Parliament, which in every confideration of firmnels, integrity, ta1nts, industry, and public honour, was pe culiarly formed to do fervice to their Sovereign, and his d minions, in the most critical and most complicated state of affairs, that this great country had ever feen. His next ob ject was, to give to the Chancellor of the Exchequer an occafion, if he would condefcend to vie it, of gratifying the Houfe with an explanation of the peculiar predicament in which he hood, and which on a former day had been defcribed by himself as of the novel krad, and fairly liable to remark, till the motives could be brought forward. If the Minifter thould either adopt this motion, or not venture to take the opinion of the Houfe upon it, the inference would be obvious, and perfectly fatisfactory. The motion was, Mr. Eden added, that a large majority of the Houfe would undoubtedly (he believed) have fupported fuch a refolution; but his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Fox) thinking perhaps that the Minitter was under fome difguft at what had palled in the courfe of the day, or under mifapprehenfion of his own fituation and duties, which a few hours recollection might remove, had recommended the short adjournment, which took place; both fides "That it appears to this Houfe, that his of the Houfe were poffibly too much heated "Majefty's faid mott gracious anfwer conat the time to proceed with due difcretion; "tams affurances, upon which this Hoole and he himself had profited by the interval, ❝ cannot but most firmly rely,That his having reduced his propofition to a thare "Majefty will not, by the Prerogation er which would equally anfwer his purpose, "Diffolution of Parliament, interrupt this without implying any cenfure, or conveying "House in their confideration of proper mesady harth idea. A Miniftry had been form-fures for regulating the affairs of the Eaft ed for the avowed purpose of refifting and controuling the majority of the House of Com. mons; the House had refolved, that to a Miniftry fo formed, they would never give their confidence; but the Minifters had not taken the hint to defift from the interruption of public fervices, which they were rendered unable to manage with effect. The Houfe had next proceeded to vote that the continuance of thofe Minifters was contrary to conflitutional principles, and injurious to the affairs of the King and the kingdom. The Ministers fill maintained their situation, and had brought forward a measure for regulating the moft important poffeffions of the British empire; that measure had been rejected on Friday latt. What would they fay of its rejection? Would they allow their bill to have been weak and infufficient? If fo, it would prove their iocapacity. Would they affert, that it was a good bill? The dilemma there was equally conclufive against them, for it would the that the House of Commons could not trust them even with the conduct of a good meafure. Be the measure good or bad, it was in fact rejected, and the Minifter frill continued to hold an unconftitutional fituation injurious to the public fervice. In all thefe unprece dented circumflances, there was fomething to totally destructive, not only of the tem porary interests of the country, but of the edential principles of the conftitution, that if: fpecifie meafores of redress were delayed, that delay must be attributed, not to a mean and criminal acquiefence, but to a prudent and cautious forbearance; there certainly was no want of firmaefs, but there was a just and wife fear of precipitancy. འ "India Company, and for fupporting the "public credit and revenues of this country; "objects, which in the opinion of his Ma"jefty, and of this Houfe, and of the Public, "cannot but be thought to demand the most "immediate and unremitting attention of "Parliament." Mr. Marfham rofe to fecond the motion, agreeable to his promife of Saturday. Mr. Martham declared, he had never entertained but one opinion upon the King's Answer to the Addrefs of the Houfe, and that opinion had correfponded with the motion then propofed. As foon as the Speaker had read the motien, The Chancellor of the Exchequer role and faid, he took the earliest opportunity of speaking to a motion which every Gentleman must be aware concerned him perfonally. As the construction of his Majesty's Anfwer was now brought forward in the shape of a question, and thus rendered the fubject of free parlia mentary difcuffion, he certainly was bound to meet that question, and enter upon its me rits fairly and unrefervedly. His mind, he was ready to confefs, was relieved from thofe difficulties which he had before felt, and which had determined him to refift any attempt to extort from him a verbal declaration of fomething he might fland pledged for as a Minister; that fort of embarraffment being wholly removed, by the matter no longer depending on the interrogatories of private in dividuals, but coming towards in the thape of a regular motion, (and he would beg leave to obferve by the by, that the question had never before before been put to him by the Houfe,) he would ftate his opinion upon the subject. That his Majesty by his anfwer, gave that Houte to underfland, and in a manner pledged himfelf, that he would not interrupt their meeting again, after fuch an- adjournment as the circumftances of the time might require, was undoubtedly true. But he faw not how the Royal word could he inferred to be pledged any father. The motion declared it to be the construction put upon his Majesty's anfwer by that Houte, that his Majetty had promifed not to interrupt their deliberations, by an exercife of his Royal prerogative of prorogation or diffolution, while the affairs of the East Indies, and the fupport of the public credit, continued the fubj-cts of their confideration. To fuch an indefinite promise he would not fubfcribe, and therefore to a notion affixing fuch an unlimited construction on the King's anfwer, he must give his diffent; and that for the frongest reafon that could poffibly be adduced, viz. because he knew when he advifed his Majesty to use the words in which the answer was framed, he never had any fuch indefinite fente of them in his contemplation. In the present fituation of affairs, he thought a diffolution could not but be attended with great detriment and disadvantage, and therefore he would not advise any fuch exercife of the Prerogative. had voted his continuance in office unconfti- Mr. Fox rofe to declare, that what the Right Hon. Gentleman had just said on the fabject of diffolution, was perfectly fatisfactory, but had he condefcended to have made the fame declaration on that day fortnight, he would have fpared that Houfe and the country a great deal of anxiety. He begged leave, however, to remind the Right Hon. Gentle man, that he had not taken any notice of a part of his Honourable Friend's argument, of Mr. Fox enlarged upon this idea very coawhich he had formely notified, that he fiderably, and urged the Chancellor of the would give the Houfe an ample account, and Exchequer to comply with his own promise upon which undoubtedly the Hoafe would ex- to account for his having continued in office pect to have fome fatisfaction. What he in defiance of that Houfe and its refolutions, meant was, an account of the reafons which coming down from day to day to meet a majohad induced the Right Honourable Gentleman rity directly and avowedly disapproving of to continue in office as a Minifter, after that him as a Minifter, without the power to care House had come to a refolution exprefEve of ry on any public bufinefs, or to ferve his their disapprobation of his remaining in that country in any manner whatever, but on the fruation, and had declared, that he had left contrary obftructing the progrefs of great and their confidence, by the unconstitutional important confiderations which ought to be means, by which he had come into power. brought forward. With regard to what the That his fituation was new and extraordinary, right honourable gentleman had faid of the the Right Honourable Gentleman had himself King's aufwer having been underflood diffeadmitted; it certainly was fo, for he believ-rently by thofe who fat near him, when it ed it was not to be paralleled in the history of the country, for a Minister to remain in office, after the House of Commons had declared, that his continuing in a place of high truft, was contrary to conftitutional principles, and injurious to the interefts of his Majesty and his people. What was "the plain inference from fuch a conduct, but that the Right Ho nourable Gentleman confidered himfelf as fuperior to the House of Commons, and held their refolutions in contempt. The House was first taken into confideration, and that, it had then been declared to mean no more, than that his Majesty had only pledged himfelf not to prevent the Houfe from meeting after the adjournment for the recess, the right honourable gentleman was not in the House at the time to which he had alluded, or he muft have known that the very reverse of his atiertion was the fact. The construction put upon the King.s answer by the prefent motion was the construction pat upon it by most of those near near him, who spoke on that occafon: he himfelt had been the fingle inftance of its being fuggefted, that the anfwer was fo worded as to warrant any doubt as to its conftruation. He had faid, undoubtedly that it would bear lucha confiruction, but he had declared at the fame time that he believed it was not meant to carry fuch a meaning, and in the courfe of the debate it had been to treated. Having put this very pointedly, Mr. Fox returned to the confideration of Mr. Pitt's have ing remained in office in direct oppofition to the refolutions of that Houfe, and said, that the House would expect fatisfaction on that head. He declared he withed for cool confideration on what had happened for the paft three weeks. Let the right honourable gentleman fate the intentions of Minifters, let him recollect that the refolution condemned them on a meafure; to remain in othice after that, was to put themselves and the country in a fituation unparalleled fince the Revolution. The Houfe must have an explanation; the fooner it was given, the better, fince let it be delayed ever so long, it must be given at Jaft. a moment. He had the profoundest respect for the Houfe, the utmoft reverence for their refolutions, being perfectly aware that the Houte had it in its power at all times to follow up their refolutions with, measures that could not fail to render them effectual. That -he food in a situation perfectly new, he was ready to admit, bot that he good in that fituation in contempt of thats Houle, or as hold ug himself superior foats authority, he malt beg leave to deny. New and extraordinary circumstances might judify new and ex"traordinary conduct. For way: Minifter who had been declared unworthy the approbation and confidence of that Houte to remain in office, was he confeffed far from common, but he hoped he thould not give offence, when be declared, that a Minifter might neverthelefs act conftitutionally, by remaining in of fice after that Houfe had declared their difapprobation of him. He begged pardon for what he was going to fay, but he conceived that, according to the conftitution, the immediate appointment or removal of Minifters refied not with that House. There was therefore nothing illegal in a Minifter's remaining in office after that Houfe had declared against him, particularly where immédiate refigna The Chancellor of the Exchequer rofe immediately, in obedience to the call of the Houje, which was pretty general, that be should jaytion would have injured the country; and he Something in reply. hoped, a public man might be fuppofed to act honourably, when upon public motives he thought he beft terved his country, by continuing in office after he had been so unfortunate as to lote the confidence of that Houte. He explained this, by declaring that there were acts of duty, not the lefs indifpenfible, because they were difagreeable; that in critical fituations it was incumbent on a Minister, who found he was not approved by that Houfe, He declared, he had not in his former fpeech touched on the fubject, dwelt upon by the right honourable gentleman, because he did not perceive any thing in the prefent motion, that had the mallet reference to it; he had waited in expectation, that the House would go into the Committee on the fate of the nation, in which fome refolution might poffibly have been brought forward, that would have rendered his going into a difcufto look to the probable confequences of his fion of his conduct, and his ftating the rea. fons which had induced him to continue in office, after the refolutions that Houfe had lately come to, more proper, than it would have been for him to enter upon fuch a topick collaterally, and when a motion, not immedi ately referring to it, was under confideration. With regard to accounting for his conduct, he had never exprcffed any backwardnefs; he had not the leath objection to explain any point that regarded himself. He hould ferople not to fpeak his free fentiments upon the fubject, which was at all times the right of every man, and which he doubted not would not be denied him. To fuppofe that he fet himself up as fuperior to the Houfe of Commons, or that any individual could be mad enough to put himself into fo ridica ous a fituation, as to oppose numbers, and thofe forming fo refpectable and auguít an affembly, as that important Houfe of Parliament, was what he imagined no man in his fenfes could conceive. Much less, he hoped, could it be thought that he held the refolutions of that Houfe in contempt, or regarded them with any degree of indifference. Neither of thefe fuppofitions could feriously be entertained for immediately refigning. It behoved him to confider who were likely to be his fucceffors, and whether the country might not receive more detriment than they could poffibly derive advantage, by his leaying it without any executive government, and thus making room for an adminiftration in whom the Crown, the Parliament, and the People, could not equally repofe confidence. He acknowledged that the Miniter who thould venture lightly to encounter the difficulty of holding his of fice against the confent of that Houle, would in all probability be made to repent of his levity; the neceflity ought to be great undoubtedly, fince to attempt fuch an arduous matter, without the strongest reafons poble, would be rath, imprudent, and unjustihable. There were circumstances, however, under which, he conceived, the meeting that difficulty with chearfulness, was far from reprehenfible. He had not continued in his fituation from motives of ambition, nor from love of power. He had not remained a Minister trom a defire of clinging to office, nor from any regret at the lofs of official emolument. To have refigned immediately, after the House had come to their refolution on Friday fe'nnight, would have been to have let late in the Minifters, who however they might, enjoy the confidence of that Houfe, he believed had not the contidence of the nation. Such a change therefore could have done no good to the country. It was true the majority of that Houfe had decided against him; but the fente of the Houfe upon that point did not appear to be grown more and more, in the progrefs of the time that had elapfed fince his coming into othee; on the contrary, the majority had gradually decreased. An union had been much talked of and fondly wishes for by fome. An union must have regard to principle and public ho nour as became public men. That was an effential object, and could alone give falvation, if it were to be accomplished. Mr. Pat reafoned upon this for a confiderable time, and faid, the confequences of a fudden refignation were delicate fubjects, but they were matters which it was the duty of a Minister to confider before he refolved to retire. That this confideration alone had kept him in othe after what had past in that Houfe lately. That he derived no pleature from being a Minifter under fach circumftances, on the contrary much pain and mortification; but that he confidered himfelf as performing an act of neceffary duty to his King and country, and fo long as that continued to be the cafe he thould perfevere, though nothing could be farther from his thoughts than an indifference to the refolutions of that House, a difregard to its opinions, or a contempt for its approbation and confidence. He trusted, that he had held conftitutional language, and ́had. said nothing difrefpectful, Mr. Powys and Mr. Fox rofe together. After fome moments spent in the friends of each Gentleman calling upon their respective names. Mr. Fox obtained the hearing. He faid, it had given him concern to hear what the Right Honourable Gentleman bad faid; it had confirmed him in what he had before only fuffected, viz. that the Right Hon. Gentleman did confider himself as fuperior to the House of Commons. What was the refolt of the Right Hon. Gentleman's argument, but that be oppoted his private opinion to the Refolutions of that Houfe? Was his continuance in office a benefit to the Country, and injurious to the principles of the Couftitution? That Houte had faid it was, but the Right Honourable Gentleman had thought proper to fly in the face of the opinion of the Houfe, and fay it was not. If the Right Honourable Gentleman continued in office, could the affairs of Government be carried on? Undoubtedly they could not, because an Adminißration without force, and not poffeffing the confidence of that Houfe, could propofe no meafure, however neceffary with effect, and could do the country no fervice whatever; on the contrary, it put every thing in confufion, it created univerfal anarchy, it brought on endless diforder. The Right Hon. Gentleman had talked of the decreating majority, and had reafoned upon that as an argument that the prefent Miniftry became less and lefs "unpopu lar. The argument was fallacious, the reafoning unfound. Let the Right Hon. Gentle man confider the circumstances that had attended the two India Bills. Let him come pare the large majority that had divided in fupport of that brought in before the holidays, with the majority of lat. Friday. The late Adminiftration, no man could deny, poffeffed the confidence of that Hoofe, and were going on with the public business regularly, on the ground of poffeffing that coufidence. They had been undermined by whispers and intri gues, and upon an overthrow fo brought about, the prefent Minitters had come in, and by that means lott the confidence of the Houfe.. The Right Hon. Gentleman therefore and his colleagues having come in unconftitutionally, and having been declared by that Houfe to have done fo, were they the best Ministry that ever were felected, mutt go out, nor could the matter be palliated, by forming an union while they remained in office. Was an administra tion arranged without their refigning, even though composed of the wifest and ableft Natefmen in exiftence, fuch an Adminiftration could do no good, becaufe it would ftand on un-onftitutional grounds. Mr. Fox compar ed the prefent fituation to what had been figu ratively termed the interregnum, upon Lora Shelburne's Ministry being obliged to retire, and brought to the minds of the House the ill confequences or the extraordinary state in which the country had been placed by to long a want of Government. He argued the neces fity of avoiding a fimilar misfortune, and faid ' it would lay upon thofe on the other fide of the Houfe, if extremes were obliged to be reforted to, in order to oblige the prefent Minifers to retire. Extremes were in his mind. always, if poffible, to be avoided. The Right Honourable Gentleman had faid, that House had it in its power to enforce its own refolutions, and by faying the power of removing Minifters lay with them, he had pointed out to them, as it were, the propriety of voting an Addrefs to the Crown to remove the prefent Minifters. Undoubtedly fuch a measure was at their option, and it was perfectly confitutional. He hoped, however, they would not adopt it till the laft poffible moment; he hoped they would avoid every thing like an extreme till they could not no longer avoid it. The Houfe, if he might have leave to recommend any line of conduct to them, would do well to be moderate but film, temperate though determined in their proceedings. Let them avoid the fare laid for them, and neither rifque a quarrel with the other House of Parliament, nor incur the displeasure of the Crown, by reforting to the expedient of going up to the Throne with an Addrefs which would give them trouble that had better be avoided, and look like an indecency, where no indecency ought to be offered. The Right Hon. Gentleman had declared fome time fince that he would not rev re on a queftion about men but had defired to be judged by his measures. A A mesfore, great and important in its confequences, had been difcuffed and decided againft. There was now therefore no plea for his remaining in office, either with regard to men, or with regard to meatures. Sacrifices had been expected and called for as the price of union. Whatever he might give up of his own honour, whatever he might give op of the honour of thofe with whom he acted, there was one thing he never would give up, namely, the honour of that Houfe. He was bound to fupport it again unconflitutional principles and unconstitutional Minifters. No man could get over it without the bateft rreachery to the Houfe, and without making it a fcandalous facrifice to private motives. If any Treaty was entered into while the prefent Minifiers remained in office, that House would have a right to fay, "You wanted place you fold us for power." The House moft carry their point, they must force Minifters to retire, or it had been better they never had come to the Refolution that flood on their Journals. The House of Commons was, he faid, the corner one of a strong administration. and ought it to be difregarded? He would give up much, but he would never give up the dignity of the Houte. If any man thought it ought to be given un, let him move to refcind the refolution. While it remained on their Journals, it must be looked to as the ruling principle of their conduct. He afked to what end would Minitters with to conrinne in office? It had remained for the Right Honourable Gentleman to difcover the pleature and fatisfaction of continuing Minister under fuch circumstances. It was agreed on all hands, that a ftable and permament Govern ment was neceffary. Was the present such a Government? It was a ftable Government indeed that could do nothing! The prefent it was plain had no power to act, and to what purpose continue, when its continuance was a ftumbling block to union, and a bar to all hopes of conciliation. He asked, whether the Country ought to be made a victim to fuch conduct. If perfifted in, the House muit proteed farther; he hoped however that there would be no necesity. The confequence could not be agreeable, but however difagree able the iffue, it must be imputed to thofe who thought themselves wifer than the Houfe, and they, and they alone muft anfwer for it to their country. When he faid this, he was far from meaning to have it underflood, that he thought a Minifter was never juftifiable in differing in opinion from that Houle. No man in the fituation of a Minister would be more likely to differ from that House, than be thould; but then he would adhere to his pinion, and when he found the House and he thought differently, he would refign his office, and fay to the House, "chufe another inftrus ment to carry on the public bufinefs, I am no longer fit to ferve you." Mr. Fox dwelt upon this for fome time, and after urging his argu ments in a variety of thapes, upon the indifpenfible acceffity of preferving the honour of the Houfe, and obliging the prefent Minifters to retire, he repeated his earnett exhortation to the Houfe to act with temperance and forbearance, to do nothing rathly and hastity, but to avoid extremes, and to adhere fteadily, but difpaffionately, to their purpofe. Before he fat down, he fail he had no objection to agree to an adjournment; he meant to move that the Order of the Day might be read, as foon as the prefent motion was disposed of, after which he should move to adjourn the Committee on the State of the Nation, to the firft day to which the Houfe fhould think proper to adjourn. The question was put and agreed to without a divifion. RESOLUTIONS OF THE COMMONS. UNION. DISSOLUTION. Earl of Effingham rofe and reminded their Lordthips of what he had mentioned a few days back, refpecting another Houfe; that he now got up only to affign a reafon for not prepofing fome refolutions for the Houfe to come to. A report, he faid, frongly prevailed without doors, that a fet of gentlemen, much refpected by this country, had met for the laudable purpose of bringing about an union or coalition, and which he fincerely withed might be effected. Earl of Ferrers (aid a few word upon the rumour without doors, refpeéting a union, which had it not been the intention of many worthy Gentlemen to endeavour to bring about, his Lordthip declared his intention of moving their Lordships as that day TO HAVE ADDRESSED HIS MAJESTY TO DISSOLVE THE PARLIAMENT, The Lord Chancellor, as foon as Lord Fer rers fat down, rose up and moved the Question for adjournment. Adjourned to Monday the 30th. HOUSE of COMMONS. The order for Mr. Hamilton of Bargeny, to attend the Houfe was difcharged. Nothing yet done, and feemingly, at prefent, very favourable prospect of an union of parties. The Houfe adjourned till to-morrow, they will go to Church, and will meet again on Monday, the 2d of February. when |