"that the impofition of the port-duties of 1767 was a measure the most abfurd and pernicious that could be devised, and the cause of all our present and impending evils." On which lord Shelburne, at that time secretary of state, lord Camden, then lord Chancellor, and the duke of Grafton, then at the head of the treasury, and now lord privy feal, feverally declared, that they had no fhare in that measure, and had never given it their approbation. A general fentiment of amazement and indignation feemed for a moment to pervade the minds of the house, that a measure of fuch unparalleled importance fhould be carried into effect by the force of a fecret and overruling influence, contrary to the advice and judgment of the principal ministers of the crown, who were alone responsible for the measures of government. The marquis of Rockingham, who had petitions from the American and Weft India merchants to present to the house, at length moved the previous queftion, in order that the allegations of the merchants might be heard before any decifive ftep was taken; but on the divifion it was negatived by 104 voices to 29; after which the original motion of lord Dartmouth was put, and agreed to by the houfe: but on both queftions strong protests were entered on the journals of the house.

On the roth of February, lord North moved for a bill to restrain the trade and commerce of the New-England provinces, and to prohibit them from carrying on the fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland. This bill excited fresh debates. It was faid, "that though a rebellion was declared only in one province, three more were included in the fame punishment; that the Newfoundland fishery was neceffary to the subsistence of the people of New-England, and that, by the operations of this cruel act, half a million of people, including friends and foes, innocent and guilty, were condemned to perifh by famine for the fupVOL. I. pofed

X

pofed offences of an inconfiderable number*. The minifters contented themfelves with alleging the political neceffity of this meafure, and it was carried through both houfes by the ufual majorities. While this bill was pending, the friends of the minifter, no lefs than the parlia ment, and the nation at large, were thrown into fudden aftonishment, by his lordship's announcing to the house A CONCILIATORY PROPOSITION. This famous motion, which was introduced by a long and elaborate fpeech, the minifter affirmed to be founded on a paffage of the late addrefs, which declared, that whenever any of the colonies fhall make a proper application to parliament, we shall be ready to afford them every just and reasonable indulgence. The propofition itfelf, which wears an ambiguous and eniginatical appearance, was precifely as follows:" That when the governor, council, and affembly, or general court of his majefty's provinces, or colonies, fhall propofe to make provifion according to their refpective conditions, circumstances, 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 disposable by parliament; and shall engage to make provifion alfo for the fupport of the civil government, and the administration of justice in such 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 propofe any further duty, tax or affeffment, except only fuch duties as it may be expedient to propofe 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 refpectively."

*This notable project for starving the Americans into fubmiffion, was planned by the folicitor general, who, in confequence, acquired the ludicrous characteristic appellation of "Starvation Wedderburne."

fpectively." Though the intention of the minifter, in the framing of this propofition, which there is good ground to believe the majority of the cabinet most reluctantly affented to, was perhaps juft and laudable, it could not be imagined by any perfon capable of enlarged or comprehenfive views, that in the prefent ftate of things it would be attended with any beneficial effect. When the right of taxation was pofitively and vehemently denied by America, a mere offer on the part of Great Britain to fufpend the exercise of that right, fo long as the Americans fhould tax themselves in the exact proportion, and for the precife purposes prefcribed by parliament, muft, to the Americans, appear an abfolute mockery. The minifter had the chagrin to perceive that the propofition was very indifferently received by the house. The gentlemen ufually in oppofition treated it as nugatory, infidious, and ridiculous. On the other hand, the high prerogative party, at the head of whom, and of the whole formidable phalanx of "king's friends," was Mr. Charles Jenkinson, formerly fecretary to lord Bute; a man, dark, fubtile, and imbued with fentiments of loyalty and ideas of government adapted to the meridian of the court of Ifpahan, violently exclaimed against this motion of conciliation, as a total abandonment of principle; as being in direct opposition to the fpirit of the late addrefs; as a contradiction to all the acts and declarations of parliament; a virtual acknowledgment of injury; and a mean prevarication, which could tend to no other purpose than to facrifice the dignity of that house. They declared they would make no conceffions to rebels with arms in their hands; nor agree to any terms of reconciliation, in which an exprefs and definitive acknowledgment of the fupremacy of parliament was not a preliminary article. And a motion was actually made by Mr. Rigby for the chairman to leave the chair.-In the midst of the tumult occafioned by this motion, the folicitor general, Wedderburne, who had once been him

felf a leading member of the oppofition, and who had rendered himself peculiarly odious by his apoftacy, rofe, in order to explain the nature and tendency of the propofition in question, which, he faid, had been exceedingly mistaken. He affirmed, "that it was far from the defign of the propofition to affent to a dereliction of the rights of parliament, or to yield in any degree to the infolence of the Americans; but, on the contrary, it held forth a more wife and effectual method of enforcing the claims of the one, and repreffing the arrogance of the other. The parliamentary right of taxation," he said, "was fo effential a part of fovereignty, that parliament, if it would, cannot furrender it; and this right was expressly referved by the propofition. Does it then fufpend the profitable exercise of the right? So far from it, that it fhews the firm refolution of parliament to enforce the only effential part of taxation, by COMPELLING the Americans to provide what we, not they, think just and reafonable. Thus it appeared that we were not contending, as fome had affirmed, for trifles, or a vain point of honor; but the dispute was at length placed on its proper foundation revenue or no revenue; and in default of an entire and unlimited compliance, he concluded with applying to America the famous denunciation, DELENDA EST CARTHAGO."-The minifter, who trembled at the idea of being left in a minority, gladly acquiefced in this very fatisfactory explanation; adding, in the genuine fpirit of Machiavelian policy, that his motion was founded on the well-known maxim, "divide et impera !" that he had never expected the Americans would embrace this propofal, but that it was intended to difunite the colonies, and unite the people of England. The prerogative party being now CONCILIATED, the question was put, and the numbers proved on the divifion 274 to 88. A fecond bill was now brought in to restrain the trade of the colonies of East and Weft Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and

South

South Carolina, and the counties on the Delawar. The different parties in parliament appearing almost exhausted with the fatigue of inceffant debate, this measure, unexpected and important as it was, paffed with no memorable oppofition.

On the 22d March Mr. Burke moved a series of conciliatory propofitions in the houfe of commons, which he enforced by a moft able and eloquent fpeech, fraught with wisdom and knowledge, clear, difpaffionate, and convincing; and in all refpects worthy of a man of the higheft reputation for genius and ability. He faid, "that his plan of conciliation was founded on the fure and folid bafis of experience; that neither the chimeras of imagination, abstract ideas of right, or mere general theories of government, ought to be attended to. He confeffed that he was not acquainted with the method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people; and he affirmed, that government, to be beneficial, or even practicable, must be adapted to the feelings, habits, and received opinions of the people; that all fchemes of government which had been or could be propofed, without due regard to these matters, would be found ineffectual and dangerous. Defpotifm itself muft bend to fituations and circumftances. He disclaimed therefore all difcuffion refpecting the question of right, and wished it to be confidered folely as a matter of policy. Without enquiring whether they had a right to render their people miferable, he asked, whether it was not their interest to make them happy? and instead of taking the opinion of a lawyer on what they might do, Mr. Burke thought it more confonant with reason, humanity, and justice, to confult what they ought to do in an emergency like the prefent. The colonies, as they had hitherto been governed, were living monuments of the wisdom of our ancestors. The only method of governing them with fafety or advantage, was by admitting them to an intereft in our conftitution, and by recording that

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