fome few weeks, he expired May 11th, 1778, in the 70th year of his age.

On the first intelligence of his death, colonel Barré repaired to the house of commons, then fitting, and communicated the melancholy information. Although it was: an event which had been for fome time daily expected, the house seemed affected with the deepest fenfibility, and forrow was apparent in every countenance. The recollection of his former pre-eminence in power, of his unrivalled eloquence, of his unwearied exertions in the public fervice, and of the unexampled profperity to which Great Britain had attained under his administration, rushed upon the mind with irresistible force, and produced an emotion which the fympathy fo powerful in popular affemblies heightened to enthusiasm. The motion made by colonel Barré," that the remains of the earl of Chatham be inferred at the public expence," was unanimoufly adopted; with the farther addition," that a monument be erected to his memory in the collegiate church of St. Peter, Weftminfter." This was followed by a motion from lord John Cavendish, for an addrefs to the king, that his majesty would be graciously pleased to make a permanent provifion for the family of the late WILLIAM PITT, earl of CHATHAM, in confideration of the services performed by that able statesman ;" and in the sequel, a bill was brought into parliament, and unanimoufly paffed, by which a clear annuity of 4000l. per annum, payable out of the civil lift, is for ever to be annexed to the earldom of Chatham, and the fum of 20,000l. voted for the difcharge of debts and incumbrances. Thus nobly and gratefully did the nation reward the fervices of the man, whofe counfels, to the amazement of the world, the had for fo many years ne- . glected and contemned. The ready concurrence of the court in the honors lavished on the memory of this great ftatefman, may be afcribed entirely to the decided manner in which he delivered, almoft in his laft breath, his fentiments

ments against the recognition of American Independence, and which may be regarded as the fole political error, with which, in refpect to America, he is chargeable. What. his precise ideas were, with regard to the plan of conciliation proper to be adopted in the actual circumftances of the nation, cannot be ascertained; but of this we may reft affured, from the uniform and fyftematic tenor of his policy, that he never would have employed coercive means in accomplishing it. When he found, and had he been restored to the plenitude of power he certainly would have found, America determined to maintain her independency, he muft doubtless have discovered, and could not but have fubmitted to, the neceffity of recognizing it. It is exceedingly to be lamented, that personal and party confiderations prevented that firm and cordial coalefcence amongst the whigs in oppofition to the court, which was fo neceffary to give efficacy to their exertions. The diflike of lord Chatham to the Newcastle or Rockingham party was invincible; and the divifions and animofities which originated in that dislike, and which his death was far from extinguishing, have at length terminated in what may be confidered as the almoft total ruin of the Whig intereft, and the final and complete triumph of the tories; at least till the calamities, which have never yet failed to refult from a tory system of government in this country, fhall again awaken the dormant spirit of whiggism in the nation, and confign, the abfurd, pernicious, and detestable: maxims of tory government to public contempt and exe cration. But when a just allowance is made, and just allowance must be made for those imperfections from which no human character is exempt, lord Chatham will unqueftionably rank as one of the greatest, most enlightened, and beneficent ftatefmen that ever adorned the annals of any age or country.

The diftreffes in which the kingdom of Ireland was involved in confequence of the war, and the general and loud

complaints

complaints of the bulk of its inhabitants, made it abfolutely neceffary to attempt fomething farther for its relief; and in a committee of the whole house it was resolved,

I. That the Irish might be permitted to export directly to the British plantations or fettlements all goods, wares, and merchandize, being the produce of that kingdom, or of Great Britain, wool and woollen manufactures only excepted; as alfo foreign certificate goods legally imported.

II. That a direct importation be allowed of all goods, wares, and merchandize, being the produce of the British plantations, tobacco only excepted.

III. That the direct exportation of glafs manufactured in Ireland be permitted to all places except Great Britain. IV. That the importation of cotton yarn the manufacture of Ireland be allowed, duty free, into Great Britain; as alfo,

V. The importation of fail-cloth and cordage.

Thefe refolutions excited a very great and general alarm amongst the commercial part of the British nation, who feemed to confider the admiffion of Ireland to any participation in trade, as equally deftructive to their property, and fubverfive of their rights.

After the recefs, very many instructions and petitions were presented to the house in oppofition to them: and it deferves mention, as a striking inftance of commercial folly and prejudice, that, in feveral of the petitions, the importation of Irish fail-cloth and of wrought iron is particularly specified as ruinous to the fame manufactures in England; though it was by this time difcovered, that, by a pofitive law of long standing, Ireland was in actual poffeffion of thofe very privileges, although the Irish were so far from being able to profecute these manufactures to any purpose of competition with the British, that great quantities of both were annually exported to the country from England. An almost equally great and equally groundless alarm had been taken at the bill paffed a few years fince for the free importation

importation of woollen yarn into England; which was by experience found and acknowledged to be not mere innocuous, but beneficial; yet fuch influence had the apprehenfions of the public upon the difpofition of the house, that the bills founded on the refolutions actually paffed were ultimately difmiffed, and fome trivial points only conceded, not meriting a diftinct specification.

Late in the feffion, Sir George Saville moved for leave to bring in a bill for the repeal of certain penalties impofed by an act paffed in the 10th of king WILLIAM, entitled an act for preventing the farther growth of popery; which penalties the mover ftated to be, the punishment of popish priests, or jefuits, as guilty of felony, who should be found to officiate in the fervices of their church; the forfeiture of eftate to the next proteftant heir, in cafe of the education of the Romish poffeffor abroad; the power given to the fon, or other nearest relation, being a proteftant, to take poffeffion of the father's eftate during the life time of the proprietor; and the depriving papists of the power of acquiring any legal property by purchase. In propofing the repeal of these penalties, Sir George Saville faid, "that he meant to vindicate the honor and affert the principles of the proteftant religion, to which all profecution was foreign and adverfe. The penalties in queftion were difgraceful, not only to religion, but to humanity. They were calculated to loofen all the bands of fociety, to diffolve all focial, moral, and religious obligations and duties; to poifon the fources of domeftic felicity, and to annihilate every principle of honor." The motion was received, to the infinite credit of the house, with fuch high and marked approbation, that the bill founded upon it paffed without a fingle negative, and foon afterwards acquired by the cordial concurrence of the peers and the monarch, the force of a law.

About this time general Burgoyne returned to England, being released on his parole by congrefs; but he met,

probably

probably to his surprise, with a very cold and indifferent reception from the minifters, and in a manner which clearly indicated his difgrace, was refufed admiffion to the royal prefence. The general, highly resenting this treatment, avenged himself by loud complaints in the house of commons of the mifconduct of minifters, defcribing them as totally incompetent to fuftain the weight of public affairs in the prefent critical and dangerous emergency. This mode of retaliation, however, contributed little to raise his character in the estimation of the public, who clearly difcerned the real caufes of his defection from the court, who were not ignorant that the plan of the Canada expedition had his entire previous approbation, and that, in the execution of it, his valor was much more confpicuous than his judgment or difcretion. In the fequel, he was ordered to rejoin his troops in America, whom, on various frivolous pretences, the congress refused to releafe, till the convention of Saratoga was formally ratified by the court of Great Britain. With this injunction, though coming from the highest authority, the general refufing to comply, he was divefted of all the posts and offices which he held under the government.

This feffion is distinguished above all others for a multiplicity of motions in both houfes, by different members, chiefly of the oppofition, on various fubjects of political concern, which gave rife to long and tedious debates; and which being fucceffively negatived by the influence of the court, it is fruitlefs to particularize. The most remarkable of these was a refolution moved by Mr. Gilbert, in the committee of fupply, March 2, that a tax of five shillings in the pound be laid upon penfions and falaries iffuing out of the exchequer, during the continuance of the war; which was carried by 100 to 82 voices, but, on the report, rejected by 147 to 141. A bill for the exclufion of contractors from the house of commons was also loft by a majority of two voices only; on the motion of com

mitment