with armed rebels, which, after all, would not produce the end proposed.

The oppofition, ufually fo called, expreffed their reluctant agreement in the probable truth of this prediction. The chances, in point of calculation, were infinitely against the fuccefs of the measure; but ftill there was a chanceand they would not, in any manner, impede or delay the execution of a plan which had conciliation for its object. They were not, however, the lefs fevere upon the defence fet up by the minister.

Mr. Fox afferted, "that his lordship had attempted a juftification of the most unjustifiable measures which had ever difgraced any government or ruined any country. But his arguments might be collected into one point, his excufes comprised in one apology-in one fingle wordIGNORANCE: a palpable and total ignorance of every part of the fubject. He hoped, and he was difappointed-he thought America would have fubmitted to his laws, and they had refifted them-he thought they would have submitted to his armies, and they had defeated them-he made conciliatory propofitions, and he thought they would fucceed, but they were rejected-he appointed commiffioners to make peace, and he thought they had powers; but he found they could not make peace, and that they had not fufficient powers. Had the prefent conceffions. been offered in time, Mr. Fox faid, they would undoubtedly have been fuccefsful: for, however obfcure his former propofitions of conciliation might be deemed, NECESSITY had at length compelled the noble lord to fpeak plain. But what cenfure would be found fufficient, he asked, on those minifters who had adjourned parliament, in order to make a propofition of conciliation, and then neglected to do it until France had concluded a treaty with the united and independent ftates of America, and acknowledged them as fuch? He did not fpeak from furmife, he faid, he had it from authority he could not question, that the F f 2 treaty

treaty he mentioned had been figned in Paris ten days before; he therefore wished that the noble lord would give the houfe fatisfaction on that interefting point." The minifter, being closely preffed, at length reluctantly acknowledged," that it was but too probable fuch a treaty was in agitation, though we had no authority to pronounce abfolutely that it was concluded:" and it was animadverted upon as a very extraordinary circumftanee, that the intelligence of a private member of that house fhould be fooner received, and more authentically afcertained, than that of the government. The conciliatory bills were carried through both houfes early in March.

On the fecond reading of the bills in the houfe of peers, the duke of Grafton informed their lordships, that he had, what he conceived to be, indubitable intelligence, that a treaty had been actually figned between France and America and his grace demanded from the minifters a public avowal or difavowal of this important fact. To which lord Weymouth, fecretary of ftate, replied, " that he knew nothing of any fuch treaty, nor had received any authentic information of its being either in existence or contemplation." Nevertheless, within a very few days after this extraordinary declaration, lord North delivered a royal meffage to the houfe of commons, and lord Weymouth to the houfe of peers, in which the king informed the two houfes, "that a refcript had been delivered by the ambaffador of his moft chriftian majefty, containing a direct avowal of the treaty of amity, commerce, and alliance, recently concluded with America; in confequence of which offenfive communication on the part of the court of France, his majesty had fent orders to his ambaffador to withdraw from that court; and, relying on the zealous fupport of his people, he is prepared to exert all the force and refources of his kingdoms, to repel fo unprovoked and unjust an aggreffion." Addreffes were voted by both houfes, containing the strongest affurances of affiftance and

fupport.

fupport. An amendment moved by Mr. Baker, contain ing a fevere reflection on the conduct of the minifter, was. previously rejected in the house of commons by 263 voices, against 113.

A fimilar amendment was moved in the upper house by the duke of Manchester, which gave rise to a debate, chiefly interesting as it brought into full view a very important difference of opinion fubfifting between the Lords in oppofition, and which had on various occafions more covertly appeared, refpecting the recognition of American independence. The marquis of Rockingham, and the whole Rockingham connection, maintained without referve the neceffity of admitting the independence of America. "To attempt impoffibilities," faid they, can only render our ruin inevitable; it is not now in our power to recover what we have wantonly thrown away." On the other hand, the earls of Chatham, Temple, and Shelburne, and several other lords, who had unhappily established a diftinct connection, and were, throughout the long courfe of oppofition to the present ministry, confidered as a feparate party, difclaimed every idea of relinquishing America, and deprecated its independence as the greatest of all political and national evils; and as including the utter degradation and final ruin of this country, The numbers on the divifion were, too lords who voted against the amendment, to 36 who fupported it.

On the 7th of April, the duke of Richmond, at the close of the grand committee of enquiry, in which the uphoufe as per well as that of the commons had been during the greater part of the feffion deeply engaged, moved an address to the king on the ftate of the Nation. In his speech in fupport of this address, his grace declared ftrong terms his conviction of the neceflity of an immediate recognition of American independence. "The mifchief, he said, whatever might be the magnitude of it, was already done; America was already loft; her independence

was

was as firmly established as that of other ftates. We had fufficient cause for regret, but our lamentation on the fubject was of no more avail than it would be for the lofs of Normandy or France." The earl of Chatham, in full expectation that this point would come under difcuffion this day, refolved, however enfeebled and afflicted by his corporeal infirmities, to make his perfonal appearance in the house, in order to bear his decided teftimony against it. The mind feels interefted in the minuteft circumstances. relating to the laft day of the public life of this renowned ftatesman and patriot. He was dreffed in a rich fuit of black velvet, with a full wig, and covered up to the knees in flannel. On his arrival in the house, he refreshed himfelf in the lord chancellor's room, where he ftaid till prayers were over, and till he was informed that bufinefs was going to begin. He was then led into the house by his fon and fon-in-law Mr. William Pitt and lord viscount Mahon, all the lords ftanding up out of refpect, and making a lane for him topafs to the earis' bench, he bowing very gracefully to them as he proceeded. He looked pale and much emaciated, but his eye retained all its native fire; which joined to his general deportment, and the attention of the house, formed a fpectacle very ftriking and impref

five.

When the duke of Richmond had fat down, lord Chatham rofe, and began by lamenting "that his bodily infirmities had fo long and at fo important a crifis prevented his attendance on the duties of parliament. He declared, that he had made an effort almost beyond the powers of his conftitution, to come down to the houfe on this day, perhaps the LAST time he fhould ever be able to enter its walls, to exprefs the indignation he felt at the idea which he understood was gone forth of yielding up the fovereignty of America. My lords," continued he, "I rejoice that the grave has not closed upon me, that I am still alive to lift up my voice against the difmemberment of this antient

and

and noble monarchy. Preffed down as I am by the load of infirmity, I am little able to affift my country in this most perilous conjuncture: but, my lords, while I have fenfe and memory, I never will confent to tarnish the luf tre of this nation by an ignominious furrender of its rights. and faireft poffeffions. Shall a people fo lately the terror; of the world, now fall proftrate before the house of Bourbon? It is impoffible. I am not, I confefs, well informed of the refources of this kingdom, but I trust it has still fufficient to maintain its juft rights, though I know them, not.—Any state, my lords, is better than despair. Let us at least make one effort-and, if we must fall, let us fall like men."

The duke of Richmond, in reply, declared himself to be totally ignorant of the means by which we were to refift with fuccefs the combination of America with the houfe of Bourbon. He urged the noble, lord to point out any poffible mode, if he were able to do it, of making the Americans renounce that independence of which they were in poffeffion. His grace added, that if HE could not, no man could; and that it was not in his power to change his opinion on the noble lord's authority, unfupported by any reafons, but a recital of the calamities arifing from a state of things not in the power of this country now to alter."

Lord Chatham, who had appeared greatly moved dur ing the reply, made an eager effort to rife at the conclufion. of it, as if laboring with fome great idea, and impatient to give full fcope to his feelings; but, before he could utter a word, preffing his hand on his bofom, he fell down fud-. denly in a convulfive fit. The duke of Cumberland, lord Temple, and other lords near him caught him in their arms. The houfe was immediately cleared; and his lordfhip being carried into an adjoining apartment, the debate was adjourned. Medical affiftance being obtained, his lordship in fome degree recovered, and was conveyed to.. his favorite villa of Hayes in Kent, where, after lingering fome