CHAP. VIII. Meeting of parliament-petition of Mr. Wilkes-charges against him, at the inftance of minifters—expelled the housere-chofen-declared ineligible during the present parliament -chofen a third time-election again declared void-a competitor fet up-Mr. Wilkes returned by a great majority-Mr. Lutterel declared by parliament duly elected.— Violent debates, and national ferment. - Revival against the Americans of trials within the realm for treafons committed beyond feas.-Debt on the civil lift.-Affairs of the Eaft India company-Hyder Ally-war in the Carnatic. -Europe-gallant refiftance of Corfica against the Frenchat laft overpowered.-America-difcontent increases from the new mode of trial.-Extreme dissatisfaction in England -the chief topic the Middlefex election.-Johnson's Falfe Alarm.-Junius-object and character of that extraordinary work.-Petitions—remonftrance of the city of London.— Meeting of parliament-lords Chatham and Camden oppose ministry—refignation of the duke of Grafton. THE VIII. 1768. Meering of feffion commenced on the 8th of November; CHA P. his majesty recommended from the throne * the confideration of our commercial interefts, and regretted the interruption on the continent of the ge- parliament. neral tranquillity; but ftated the affurances which he had received, that Britain would not be affected by the foreign disturbances. He mentioned the commotions in America, particularly fubmitted the affairs of that part of his dominions to the wifdom of parliament, and inculcated the neceffity of internal harmony and union. To the proposed *See State Papers, 1768. C4 addreffes, VIII. 1768. CHAP. addreffes, great oppofition was made; minifters were charged with having excited the disorders in Ame rica, and with grofs inattention to external affairs. The Bourbon compact became every day clofer, and, extending its influence to Auftria, brought the balance of power into imminent danger. The violation of the general tranquillity in the invasion of Corfica, France would never have attempted, but from her knowing the feebleness and distractions of the British cabinet. Our commercial interefts, it was added, were entirely neglected. These were the outlines of the cenfures against ministers, brought forward on the first day of the feffion, as a text for future comment and expatiation. The firft particular fubject which occupied their deliberations was corn: the crop that year had been good, and meafures were projected to prevent the recurrence of. fcarcity. A bill was prepared, not only for increasing the prohibition on the exportation of corn, but also for preventing the extraction of low wines and fpirits from wheat and flour. This act was ufeful fo far as it extended, but too trifling in its object and operation to afford any material security, against the return of dearth. An evil fo frequently prevailing in fuch a fertile country as England,manifefted the expediency. of restoring agriculture to its due weight in political œconomy, and devoting the attention of the legifature to the cultivation of land, as well as the improvement of manufactures and cominerce. Other concerns, however, more urgent though lefs important, occupied parliament. 'pro VIII. 1768. During this feffion, Wilkes engroffed a great por- СНАР. tion of parliamentary attention. This celebrated agitator had uniformly propofed * by political bustle to acquire notoriety and wealth. He fucceeded in becoming confpicuous, but had not hitherto attained opulence to ministers (as we have seen) he had in vain applied for pecuniary affiftance; but though they refused him the required fupply, they left and promoted one means of acquifition, in his extenfive popularity. In the generous hearts of Englishmen, distress is a never-failing paffport to pity and tection. If the fuffering arife from real or apparent oppreffion, the spirit of freedom enhances the defire of benignant vindication; and especially, if the alleged perfecution iffue from the executive government. But as the affections of the multitude are more ardent than their judgment is difcriminating, their regards are more frequently bestowed upon noify demagogues, than wife and beneficent patriots. Whoever propofes popularity as his chief object, well knows that he must keep alive the public attention. Wilkes and his fupporters were thoroughly skilled in the machinery of political notoriety, and spent a great part of the recefs in holding meetings, clubs, and parties; framing refolutions, remonftrances, and pamphlets. Left the curiofity of the people fhould be diminished, or the zeal of his fupporters cooled, Wilkes deemed Petition of it expedient to prefent a petition to the house of commons. This paper recapitulated all his alleged grievances, from his first apprehenfion in April. * This he himself declared to Mr. Gibbon, before the publication of the North Briton. Gibbon's Miscellaneous Works, vol.i. p. 100, note. Mr. Wilkes. VIII. 1768. Wilkes: 1769. CHAP. 1763, to his commitment in 1768: the only new matter that it contained was an affertion, that lord Mansfield had illegally and tyrannically altered the records; and that Philip Carteret Webb efq. fecretary to the treasury, had bribed the petitioner's fervants with the public money, to fteal the Effay on Proceedings Woman, to be made a ground of profecution. The respecting former statements of the petition, being a narrative of proceedings already determined by the law of the country, the house paffed over; on the two last allegations a difcuffion commenced on the 21ft of January 1769, which lasted till the 3d of February. On the charge against lord Mansfield it was refolved, that the orders made by the lord chief justice of the king's bench, for the amendment of the informations established in the faid court against Mr. Wilkes, were according to law and equity, and the practice of the court; and also, that the complaint was frivolous, groundless, and prejudicial to the administration of public juftice: on the fecond head it was resolved, that the charge against Mr. Webb was not proved. The preface to lord Weymouth's letter, of which Mr. Wilkes acknowledged himself author and publisher, next came under confideration; it was voted to be a falfe, fcandalous, and feditious libel, tending to the fubverfion of all order and legal government; and a propofition was immediately made, that Mr. Wilkes fhould be expelled the houfe. In fupporting this motion, minifters and their adherents spoke and acted as parties eagerly interested in carrying a propofition, not as judges investigating the conduct of one of their peers, that they might deliver a fair and impartial fentence. VIII. 1769. The charge was accumulative and indefinite; it con- CHA P. tained a recitation of his former offences and expulfion, and alfo of conduct which was then undergoing the animadverfion of the courts of law, fully competent to condemnation or acquittal. Their fpeeches † chiefly expatiated on thefe fubjects, and contained the irrelevant exaggerations of paffion, much more than the statements and proofs of juftice. The oppofers of this fentence contended, that the libel on lord Weymouth, a peer of the realm, was the only specific ground of the motion; that his privileges as a lord, were not cognizable by the commons; and that any offence against him as a British fubject, belonged to the laws of the land. For the other libels, he had been already expelled, and the house had punished him for an attack upon the legiflature. Should he be twice chaftifed for the fame offence?" By the prefent propofition (they faid) we are to blend the executive and judicial powers of the state with the legislative, and to extend our jurifdiction, that we may take upon ourfelves the odium of trying and punishing in a fummary manner an offence which does not affect us, but is fubject to the investigation of the laws. In the exercise of this affumed power, we are to form an accumulative and complicated charge, which no other courts, nor even we, have ever admitted in other inftances. We are to mingle new crimes with old, and to try a man twice for the fame mifdemeanour. We are to transfer the cenfures of a * See Journal of the House of Commons, Feb. 3d, 1769. See Parliamentary Debates on the expulfion of Wilkes; February 3d, 1769. former |