felf a leading member of the oppofition, and who had rendered himself peculiarly odious by his apoftacy, rose, in order to explain the nature and tendency of the propofition in question, which, he said, 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 juft and reafonable. Thus it appeared that we were not contending, as fome had affirmed, for trifles, or a vain point of honor; but the difpute 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 meafure, 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 respects 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, muft be adapted to the feelings, habits, and received opinions of the people; that all schemes 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 circumstances. He difclaimed 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 intereft 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 reafon, 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 admiffion

admiffion in the journals of parliament, to give them as
strong an affurance as the nature of the thing would al-
low, that we mean for ever to adhere to the fyftem origi-
nally established. The idea of governing by force he re-
probated as grofs in its conception, uncertain in its effect,
and ruinous even in its fuccefs. In conformity to these
principles, parliament muft revert to the antient conftitu-
tional policy of these kingdoms, which established taxation
in America by grant, and not by impofition; which re-
cognized the legal competency of the colony assemblies, for
the fupport of the civil government in time of peace, and
for public aids in time of war. In the course of his speech
Mr. Burke mentioned the aftonishing fact, that the ex-
ports from Great Britain to North America had increafed
from the beginning of the present century, when they
amounted to five hundred and feventy thousand pounds,
to upwards of fix millions annually." The purport of the
refolutions, which were thirteen in number, went to re-
cognize the legal competency of the colony affemblies for
all the various purposes of taxation; to acknowledge that
this legal competency has had a juft and beneficial exer-
cife;
that experience has fhewn the benefits of their grants,
and the futility of parliamentary taxation as a method of
fupply. Others of the propofitions related to the settle-
ment of an independent judicature, the regulation of the
courts of admiralty, and the repeal of the late coercive
acts of parliament. The previous question being moved on
the first propofition, it was carried in favor of the minif-
try by 270 voices to 78; and the remaining ones were with
the fame facility evaded, or negatived without a divifion*.
Another attempt was in a few days made by Mr. Hartley,
a very

*Thefe propofitions of Mr. Burke may be confidered as comprising the mature and deliberate plan of the Rockingham party, for the restoration of the public tranquility, to which purpofe they were moft wifely and happily adapted. The fpeech by which they were enforced is by far the moft valuable of Mr. Burke's productions; it can never be too much studied or admired. Of the speaker it can only be faid, Ofi fic omnia disiffet!

a very refpectable member of oppofition, to effect an accommodation of this fatal quarrel, by moving "that letters of requifition fhould be iffued, agreeably to antient precedent, under authority of the crown, with a view to procure a permanent and voluntary contribution from the feveral colonies towards the general expences of the empire" but this was negatived without a divifion.

At this period the city of London once more ventured to breathe her fruitless requests in the ear of majesty, by an addrefs, remonftrance, and petition, which was diftinguished by the remarkable circumftance of its being prefented to the king by Mr. Wilkes, in his official capacity of lord mayor, to which civic dignity he had been elected at the close of the preceding year. In this remonstrance the citizens of London declared " their abhorrence of the measures which had been purfued, and were then pursuing, to the oppreffion of their fellow-fubjects in the colonies. Not deceived by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifm dignity, they faid, they plainly perceived that the real purpose was to establish arbitrary power over all America. These measures, they affirmed, were carried into execu tion by his majefty's minifters, by the fame fatal corruption which had enabled them to wound the peace and violate the conftitution of this country. Your petitioners therefore, they fay, do moft earnestly entreat your majefty to difmifs immediately and for ever from your councils thofe minifters and advisers, as the first step towards a redress of those grievances which alarm and afflict. your whole people."-The following answer was, in a tone of marked and unusual emotion, delivered from the throne: "It is with the utmost astonishment that I find

any of my fubjects capable of encouraging the rebellious difpofition which unhappily exifts in fome of my colonies in North America. Having entire confidence in my par liament, the great council of the nation, I will fteadily purfue those measures which they have recommended for the fupport

fupport of the constitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interefts of my kingdoms."

Towards the close of the feffion the houfe refolved itfelf into a committee, at the motion of the minister, to confider the encouragement proper to be given to the fisheries of Great Britain and Ireland. Bounties were granted to the fhips from either kingdom employed in the Newfoundland or Greenland. fisheries; Ireland was allowed to export tools and implements for the purposes of the fisheries; and by two refolutions not connected with the original motion, and intended as an additional douceur, it was rendered lawful, 1. to export from Ireland clothing for such regiments on the Irish establishment as were employed abroad; and by the 2d, five fhillings per barrel bounty was allowed on the importation of flax-feed into that kingdom. But these trivial conceffions rather excited the contempt than the gratitude of that long oppreffed and long fuffering nation.

On the 15th of May Mr. Burke presented to the house a paper ftyled, a reprefentation and remonftrance from the general affembly of New York. This province, accounted lefs difaffected than any other, and which in conjunction with North Carolina had hitherto refused an unreserved acquiefcence in the refolutions of the congress, had not been included in the late restraining acts. But, at the fuggeftion of the minifter, this remonftrance was rejected by the house, as containing claims inconfiftent with the unlimited authority of Great Britain:—a fortunate circumftance for America, as this refufal completed that union which it was the policy, though in this inftance counteracted by the pride, of the court to obftruct or diffolve. A memorial from the fame body was at the fame time prefented to the house of peers, by the duke of Manchefter; but their lordfhips would not fuffer it to be read, affirming that the title of the paper rendered it inadmif

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