debate to arraign the conduct of the speaker with unusual vehemence, as conveying little less than an infult on the king, and as equally mifreprefenting the fenfe of parliament and the state of the nation. The fentiments delivered at the bar of the other houfe, he faid, were not those of the house of commons; he for one totally disclaimed them; and he had no doubt but a majority of the house thought with him. The speaker appealed to the vote of thanks which had been paffed, as a proof that he had not been guilty of the misrepresentation imputed to him: and the minister, uneafy at the altercation, intimated his wish that the subject might not be farther difcuffed. But Mr. Fox, immediately rifing, declared, that a ferious and direct charge having been brought, the queftion was now at iffue. Either the speaker had mifreprefented the sense of the house, or he had not. He fhould therefore, in order to bring this question to a proper and final decifion, move, that the fpeaker of the house, in his fpeech to his majesty at the bar of the house of peers, did exprefs with juft and proper energy the fentiments of this houfe." The fpeaker himself declared, "that he would fit no longer in that chair than while he was fupported in the free exercise of his duty. He had discharged what he conceived to be his duty, intending only to express the sense of the house; and from the vote of approbation with which he had been honored, he had reafon to believe, he was not chargeable with any mifreprefentation." The minifters now found themselves involved in a moft unpleasant dilemma, and in preffing terms recommended the withdrawment of the motion. This being pofitively refused, Mr. Rigby moved for the house to adjourn. But the houfe appearing evidently fenfible of the degradation which its dignity must sustain from any affront offered to the chair, he at length thought fit in fome degree to concede; and profeffed, "that he meant no reflection upon the character of the fpeaker, but that what he had faid was the mere expreffion of his pri

vate opinion, and the refult of that freedom of fpeech which was the right and privilege of every member of that house, without respect of perfons; and that, if what he had advanced was not agreeable to the sense of that house, he would readily withdraw his motion of adjournment:" which being done, Mr. Fox's motion was unanimoufly carried; and, to complete the triumph, the thanks of the house to the speaker for his conduct in this affair were also moved, and agreed to without oppofition.

The feffion being now near its clofe, lord Chatham, unwilling that it should pafs over without fome public teftimony of his unutterable abhorrence of the war which now distracted and convulfed the empire, and of the principles and conduct of those men whose weak and wicked counfels had involved the nation in its present calamities, attended the house of peers on the 30th of May, wrapped in flannels, and bearing a crutch in each hand. At the risk of his health, and perhaps of his life, this great statesman presented himfelf thus oppreffed with infirmities, for the purpose of moving their lordships, who had been previously fummoned, “That an humble address be presented to his majesty, most humbly to advise his majefty to take the most speedy and effectual measures for putting a stop to the prefent unnatural war against the colonies, upon the only juft and folid foundation, namely, the removal of accumulated grievances." His lordship faid, that he had at different times made different propofitions, adapted to the circumftances in which they were offered. The plan contained in the former bill was at this time, he confeffed, impracticable. "The present motion will open the way for treaty. It will be the harbinger of peace, and will convince the Americans, that parliament is fincerely difpofed to reconciliation. We have tried for unconditional fubmiffion-let us now try what can be gained by unconditional redress. The door of mercy has been hitherto fhut against them; you have ranfacked every corner of Germany for boors and rufVOL. I. ' Dd

fians

But

fians to invade and ravage their country; for to conquer it, my lords, is impoffible-you CANNOT do it. I may as well pretend to drive them before me with THIS CRUTCH. I am experienced in fpring hopes and vernal promises, but at laft will come your equinoctial disappointment. were it practicable by a long continued courfe of success to conquer America, the holding it in subjection afterwards will be utterly impoffible. No benefit can be derived from that country to this, but by the goodwill and pure affection of the inhabitants: this is not to be gained by force of arms; their affection is only to be recovered by reconciliation and juftice. If minifters are founded in saying, that no engagements are entered into by America with France, there is yet a moment left; the point of honor is still safe; a few weeks may decide our fate as a nation. Were America fuffered to form a treaty with France, we should not only lose the immenfe advantages refulting from the vaft and increafing commerce of our colonies, but those advantages would be thrown into the hands of our hereditary enemy. America, my lords, is now contending with Great Britain under a MASKED BATTERY of France, which will open as the perceives this country to be fufficiently weakened by the conteft. France will not lose so fair an opportunity of feparating for ever America from this kingdom.. This is the critical mement for fuch a treaty must and will take place, should pacification be delayed; and war between England and France is not the less probable because profeffions of amity continue to be made. It would be folly in France to declare it now, while America gives full employment to our arms, and is pouring into her lap her wealth and produce. While the trade of Great Britain languishes, while her taxes increafe and her revenues diminish, France is fecuring and drawing to herself that commerce which is the bafis of your power. My motion was stated generally, that I might leave the question at large to the wifdom of your lordships. But, my lords, I

will tell you fairly what I wish for-I wish for a repeal of every oppreffive act paffed fince 1763; I would put America precifely on the footing fhe ftood at that period. If it be afked, Why fhould WE fubmit to concede? I will tell you, my lords: Because you have been the aggreffors from the beginning; you ought, therefore, to make the first overture. I fay again, my lords, you have been the aggreffors, you have made descents upon their coafts, you have burnt their towns, plundered their country, made war upon the inhabitants, confiscated their property, profcribed and imprisoned their perfons;-you have injured, oppreffed, and endeavored to enflave them. America is therefore entitled to redress: Let then reparation come from the hand that inflicted the injuries; let conciliation fucceed to oppreffion; and I maintain, that parliament will again recover its authority; that his majesty will be once more enthroned in the hearts of his fubjects; and that your lordships, as contributing to fo great, benignant, and glorious an event, will receive the prayers and benedictions of every part of the British empire." The peers in administration repeated upon this occafion their accustomed arguments against conceffions of any kind, as an acknowledgment of weakness on our part, which would excite the contempt of our friends, and fofter the malice of our enemies. They pofitively denied any danger from France, and afferted, that "the affiftance given to the Americans proceeded neither from the court - nor the ministers, but from the spirit of military enterprise and commercial adventure; and finally, that the motion arraigned in the most improper terms measures which had received the fanction of parliament." On a division, the numbers were 99 to 28 peers who fupported the queftion.

On the 7th of June, 1777, the feffion was terminated, and his majesty expressed in his speech his entire approbation of the conduct of parliament, lavishing upon them high and flattering compliments for the unquestionable Dd a

proofs

proofs they had given of their CLEAR DISCERNMENT of the TRUE INTERESTS of their COUNTRY.

During the feffion, a memorial, in a very unusual style, was delivered by Sir Jofeph Yorke, Ambaffador at the Hague, to the ftates general, in which his excellency declared, "That the king, his master, had hitherto borne with unexampled patience the irregular conduct of the subjects of their high mightineffes, in their interested commerce at St. Euftatia, as alfo in America. If, faid the ambaffador, the meafures which your high mightineffes have thought proper to take, had been as efficacious as your affurances have been amicabie, the underfigned would not now have been under the neceffity of bringing to the cognizance of your high mightineffes, facts of the most ferious nature. His excellency then proceeds to state, that M. Van Graaf, governor of St. Euftatia, had permitted the feizure of an English veffel, by an American pirate, within cannon fhot of the ifland; and that he had returned from the fortrefs of his government the falute of a rebel flag: and the ambaffador concludes, with demanding, in his majefty's name, and by his exprefs order, from their high mightineffes, a formal difavowal of the falute by Fort Orange at St. Euftatia to the rebel fhip, and the difmiffion and immediate recall of the governor Van Graaf; declaring farther, that until fuch fatisfaction is given, they are not to expect, that his majefty will fuffer himself to be amufed by mere affurances, or that he will delay one inftant to take fuch meafures as he fhall think due to the interest and dignity of his crown."

The ftates, highly offended at the imperious language of this memorial, would give no answer whatever to the ambaffador, but ordered count Welderen, the refident in London, to deliver into the king of England's own hand a counter-memorial, in which they complain of the menacing tone that reigns throughout that of the English

court,