question, whether toleration was a principle beneficial or injurious to the community;-the experiment had been actually made, and it had been attended with the happiest success. No fuch hardship, as was now fuffered by the perfons whom this bill was framed to relieve, was intended by the act of toleration, which required nothing more to the participation of its advantages, than the parties concerned were at the time perfectly willing to comply with. But the fact was, that by a gradual and unforeseen change of circumftances the operation of the act was weakened and impeded: but it could not be pretended that the principle, which under the reign of king William rendered it just and beneficial to tolerate, had fuffered any change. The diverfity of theological creeds was of no importance to the state; and the SPIRIT of the ACT of TOLERATION plainly required, that the protection of the state should be extended to all its members, whatever might be their religious opinions, fo long as they'fulfilled all the duties of good citizens and fubjects-That the very idea of toleration implied difference of opinion; and to profefs to tolerate thofe only who believe as we believe, is farcical and ridiculous That the interefts of the church itself were advanced by toleration; for experience fufficiently evinced, that religious fects flourished under every species of perfecution which stopped fhort of abfolute exterminationThat as to the mischiefs fo much deplored and so terrifically described as the confequence of the removal of all restraint, the examples of Ireland and Scotland, where no fuch condition was annexed to toleration, not to advert to the examples of Holland or Switzerland, shewed how weak and groundlefs were such terrors-That truth wanted not the fanction of penal laws; but if nevertheless truths supposed effential to christianity were attacked, there were laws in existence to which those who were of opinion that christianity ought to be fo defended might have recourse. To all that had been advanced refpecting the lenity of the executive government, and the connivance of the ftate, it was enough to reply,

that

that the application now made was not a petition for favor or indulgence, but it was an appeal to the equity and justice of the state;--that it could not be refused without violating those inherent and unalienable rights over which no human power had cognizance or jurifdiction;—that these rights were too facred to be held at the caprice of a court, or the discretion of a judge;-that the penal laws, though dormant, might be at any time awakened into action by the malice, the avarice, or the revenge of individuals; that were the lenity of the executive government fuch as had been reprefented, it would doubtless be eager to embrace fo favourable an opportunity of establishing, by law, what it had hitherto been unable to confer otherwise than as a grace;-that the lenity of the ruling powers was the very reafon for bringing forward this claim, for it would certainly be fruitlefs and absurd to apply for relief and fecurity when an inimical difpofition on the part of government was previously known to exift. If nothing of real perfecution is intended, why fufpend the fword by a fingle hair over their heads?-As to the charge of republicanism, as alleged against the diffenters, it was declared to be equally futile and unjuft. The original oppofition to the measures of the court in the reign of Charles I. was highly laudable; and the unjuftifiable lengths to which that oppofition was carried, were to be afcribed to the military and defpotic violence of comparatively a few individuals. The ancestors of the prefent race of diffenters had a diftinguished fhare in the restoration of king Charles II.; and the uniform tenor of their conduct fince the æra of the revolution plainly proved them to be as loyal and obedient to just princes, who made the law the rule of their government— as they had been firm and refolute in their oppofition to tyrants, who aimed at the fubverfion of the conftitution. Not to mention the abfurdity and injuftice of punishing any clafs or defcription of men now exifting for the fupposed crimes and errors of a former generation, who had been more than a century in their graves."

A vaft

A vast majority of the house, penetrated with the force of these reasonings, and pleased with an occafion to difplay their attachment to the principles of whiggifm, from which they had been charged with a disposition to depart, passed the bill with the full concurrence of the minifter, almost by acclamation; but when it was carried up to the peers, it met with a very different reception-and the bed-chamber lords, the "king's Friends," and the BISHOPS, marthalled in one formidable phalanx, concurred in its rejection; the noncontents on the divifion being no lefs than 102 against 29 peers who fupported the motion.

As this bill had been highly and generally applauded in the house of cominons, and was apparently well approved by the nation at large, the ill fuccefs which finally attended it could only be ascribed to the predominance .of that fecret and fatal influence fo frequently alluded to, which feemed obftinately bent to thwart every measure emanating from a juft, wife, and beneficent policy. So that on this, as on other occafions, a ftranger to the manifold virtues and excellencies of the SOVEREIGN might have been pardoned for fuppofing the throne filled by fome fullen and malignant bigot, abfolutely ignorant of the firft principles of civil and religicus liberty, or to whom thofe principles appeared odious and detestable.

In the royal speech at the close of the feffion, which terminated June 9, 1772, his majesty, in the customary strain, exhorted the members of both houses to cultivate and improve a spirit of harmony and confidence amongst all ranks of men, and to make it their conftant care to inculcate a cheerful acquiefcence to juft authority. This is no doubt an highly useful and important lesson; but in order to fecure that ready and cheerful acquiefcence arifing by juft gradations into confidence and affection, it is no less neceffary that rulers and governors fhould fhew themselves difpofed to exercife their authority with mildnefs, with equity, with moderation. A truly patriot prince will fuffer noivate or perfonal con

fiderations

fiderations to divert his attention from the great and fole object of government, the general welfare: and he will be fenfible that the honor and dignity of government are far more effectually sustained by a magnanimous neglect of unmerited reflections and reproaches, which no might nor greatness in mortality can hope to escape, than by indulging a paffionate and inceffant folicitude to punish or avenge them.

t;

The extreme unpopularity which had invariably attended the measures of the court under the fucceffive adminiftrations of the present reign, that of Lord Rockingham only excepted, at length began to fuffer a fenfible abatement. The new minister, lord North, notwithstanding some false steps, evidently gained upon the nation, by the fuavity of his manners, and his apparent candor and ingenuousness of disposition. The late rupture with Spain, in the view of the public, who were not apprized of the fecret article of reftitution, had terminated honorably for England. Notwithstanding the great expence attending the armament of the last year, progrefs had been made in the reduction of the national debt and the repeal of the oppreffive port-duties, though with one unfortunate exception, fhewed at least fome inclination to accommodate the disputes so long fubfifting with America. This was farther confirmed by the refignation at this period of the earl of Hillsborough, fecretary of state for America, who was on various accounts very obnoxious to the colonies; and the subsequent appointment of the earl of Dartmouth, a nobleman of acknowledged probity, of a mild and lenient temper, and who had uniformly oppofed in parliament American taxation in every form. Various other changes and promotions alfo took place during the recefs of parliament. The earl Harcourt fucceeded lord Townshend as lord lieutenant of Ireland, and lord Stormont was appointed ambaffador at the court of Verfailles in the room of lord Harcourt. Mr. Charles Jenkinson being nominated vice-treafurer of Ireland, his feat at the board of treasury was filled by

the

the honorable Charles James Fox, fecond fon of lord Holland, a young man who had already arrefted the attention of the public by the extent of his political knowledge, and the fplendor of his parliamentary talents. This appeared the more extraordinary, as it was known that he indulged without reserve in all the fashionable levities and diffipations incident to his age and station. It ought, however, at the fame time to be remarked, that he ftopped fhort of thofe vices which effentially debafe and contaminate the moral character, and which are equally incompatible with prefent esteem or future hope. For though diffipation borders upon the region of moral depravity, and too often terminates in it, there is a real and very important difference between them. A youth of high spirit and elevated rank, endowed with lively sensibilities, and poffeffing all the advantages which nature and fortune can bestow, may be confidered, on his first entrance into life, as placed in a scene of abfolute enchantment. Plea fure presents herself in a thousand forms, and, in the ardor and effervefcence of paffion, no other object is perceived for which existence is defirable. At length the fascination diffolves, and it will be indeed fortunate if he is then able to transfer his regards to those fuperior pursuits which are calculated to give full scope to the intellectual and rational faculties. In the higher walks of life, when the concomitant temptations are furmounted, and advantages improved, are the highest and most accomplished characters formed: and in justice to Mr. Fox it must be acknowledged, that he has greatly redeemed the errors of his youth by the attainments of his maturer years, and by devoting his unrivalled talents almost exclufively to the noble and tranfcendent purpose of advancing, by the most unwearied and unremitting exertions, the peace, welfare, and happiness of mankind.

On the 26th of November 1772, the feffion was opened by an interefting fpeech from the throne, in which "the attention of parliament was particularly called to the present ftate of the East India company, and the difficulties in which

they