thefe grounds his lordship moved, "that the house should refolve itself into a committee to confider of the revifal of all acts of parliament by which his majesty's subjects in America think themfelves aggrieved." The minifters, though thrown by the furprize of this motion into fome perplexity, alleged in their vindication, "That the paper in question was not of fufficient moment to be laid before parliament, being no treaty nor part of a treaty, but barely a preliminary, which might poffibly lead to one. That a public proclamation, fubmitted to the general infpection upon the walls and houfes of New York, could not however be intended to be kept from the knowledge of parliament; and they conceived the authority exercised by the commiffioners to be already delegated by the act under which they derived their power-that, as to the motion itself, they conceived it to be highly improper, as tending to difgrace the commiffioners, and defeat their endeavors to obtain the most advantageous terms for this kingdom. They also infifted, that, until the fpirit of independency was effectually fubdued, it would be idle and futile to enter upon any revifions; but from our late fucceffes there was little room to doubt but that the cruel thraldom in which the people of America were held by the congress would be quickly diffolved, and that America would return to her duty with more eagerness and alacrity than she had entered into this revolt; and that then would be the time to talk of legislative regulations for their future government."

This language kindled anew the indignation of the oppofition. "That the most important paper published in the course of this controverfy, containing propofitions of conciliation in which the house were parties fo nearly concerned, should not be thought of fufficient moment to be laid before them, was treated as an incredible extravagance; and to pretend that the commiffioners were already authorised to engage for the revifion of the laws in question, was a palpable falsehood. The act by which they

they were appointed empowered them only to grant pardons, and enquire into grievances; and the concurrence of the house was abfolutely neceffary to give effect to the proclamation. If the minifters oppofed fuch concurrence, it was evident that the offer was a branch of that infidious and treacherous fyftem by which they aimed to divide, while by their fleets and armies they were endeavoring to destroy and exterminate the colonies. To fay that this proclamation was not intended to be kept from the knowledge of parliament, was a mockery of parliament; for how could the members of that house be fuppofed acquainted with the papers pofted up in the ftreets of New York?" But the doctrine they most of all reprobated, was, that an abfolute and unconditional renunciation of American independence muft precede the revision of the laws in question, or any redrefs of grievances whatever. " Upon what precedent," faid they, "is this horrid maxim founded? or what code of history or policy have our minifters made the rule of their prefent conduct? Philip II. of Spain, who was in his day confidered as the most gloomy and unrelenting tyrant in christendom, adopted a wifer and more moderate policy. In his wars with the revolted provinces of Holland, he repeatedly promised, in terms the moft explicit and pofitive, the complete redress of all their grievances, without requiring a previous renunciation of their independence. But the doctrine now broached was a doctrine which led to the last extremities of human mifery. It was a condition which could not be enforced without the effusion of oceans of blood, and in fact it was holding out to America the option only of SLAVERY or DEATH." The motion, after a long and paffionate debate, was negatived by a majority of 62 voices; and from this time many of the oppofition, chiefly of the Rockingham party, abfented themselves from the house, and a clear field was left during the greater part of the feffion to the minifters the vaft fupplies demanded by them being

granted

granted in almost empty houses, without examination or debate.

A gloomy filence prevailed, and minifters in the height of their parliamentary triumphs were ill able to counterfeit the external appearances of fatisfaction. The members of the feceffion, in vindication of themfelves, urged "that there was no faving a people against their will; that they had for a fucceffion of years apprized and warned the nation of the dangers attending thofe ruinous measures which it was pursuing, and of the fatal precipice that must terminate this mad minifterial career-it was too degrading to be the continual inftruments of oppofing the ineffective weapons of reafon and argument to a fyftem of pre-determined irritation and violence-that as good and bad fuccefs were equally urged, and alike admitted, as mqtives for a perfeverance in this courfe, it was not the part of wisdom to ftrive with impoffibilities, or to draw upon themselves the odium of their fellow-citizens by an ineffectual attempt to serve them-that they would therefore referve their exertions for a feafon when the prefent national delirium had fo far abated as to afford fome hope of advantage."

Soon after the recefs the minifter, depending perhaps on the present indisposition of the minority to contest any point whatever with the court, introduced a bill to enable his majefty to fecure and detain perfons charged with or SUSPECTED of the crime of high treafon committed in America or on the high feas. With fuch negligent latitude, or to speak more juftly, with fuch treacherous artifice of construction, was the bill framed, that, by the enacting claufes, the crown was enabled, at its pleasure, to commit any person refident in the British dominions to cuftody, without bail or mainprize, under his majesty's fign manual, in any place of confinement fituate in Great Britain or ELSEWHERE. For though the act of treafon, according to the propofed bill, muft be committed in Ame

rica, the crown lawyers and the king's friends maintained, and cafes were quoted to prove, that such treasonable act might be perpetrated by persons who had never been out of the kingdom, if its operation could be fubfequently fhewn to extend to America. Thus was the Habeas Corpus act, that great bulwark of British liberty, completely annihilated by a vile and infamous conftruction of law, which left it in the power of the crown to apprehend on the flightest fufpicion, or pretence of fufpicion, any individual against whom the vengeance of the court was meant to be directed; and to convey them beyond the feas to any of the garrisons in Africa or the Indies, far from all hope or poffibility of relief. The alarm occafioned by this bill brought back the members of the oppofition to the house, and a moft refolute, vigorous, and animated resistance was made to it in every ftage of its progress. At length the minifter, who really appears not to have been thoroughly apprized of the nature of the bill, and of the dreadful extent of the powers vefted by it in the crown, frankly and explicitly disavowed as to himself all defign of extending the operation of the bill beyond its open and avowed objects. He faid, "that the bill was intended for America, and not for England; that, as he should ask for no power that was not wanted, fo he would fcorn to receive it by any covert means: and that, far from wishing to establish any unconstitutional precedent, he neither fought nor wifhed any powers to be vefted in the crown or its minifters which were capable of being employed to bad or oppreffive purposes." He therefore agreed to receive the amendments proposed; the principal of which were in substance: 1. That the clause empowering his majesty to confine such persons as might be apprehended under this act in any part of his dominions, fhould be modified by the infertion of the words, "within the realm ;" and 2dly, That an additional claufe or provifo be inserted, "that nothing in this act fhall be con

ftrued

ftrued to extend to perfons refident in Great Britain." Thefe conceffions gave extreme offence to the leaders of the high prerogative party, who had zealously defended the bill in its original state, and who now exclaimed, “that they were deferted by the minifter in a manner which feemed calculated to difgrace the whole measure, to confirm all the charges and furmises of their adversaries, and to fix all the odium upon them." And it was indeed fufficiently evident from the whole conduct of the bufinefs, that the minister on this and other occafions, was not admitted into the inmoft receffes of the royal cabinet.

On the 9th of April 1777, a meffage was delivered by the minister from the king, in which his majesty expreffed his concern in acquainting the house with the difficulties he labored under from the debts incurred by expences of the civil government, amounting on the 5th of January preceding to upwards of 600,000l. And the house on this meffage refolving itself into a committee of supply, the minifter moved, "that the fum of 618,000l. be granted to enable his majefty to discharge the debts of the civil government; and that the fum of 100,000l. per annum, over and above the fum of 800,000l. be granted as a farther provision for the fame." This gave rife to a vehement debate. It was affirmed to be a measure of the groffeft impropriety and indecency to bring forward fuch a demand in such a season of national distress and calamity; when burdens are accumulated upon burdens, to tell a people already finking under their load, that the grandeur of the crown is not fufficiently fupported; and that an increase of taxes is neceffary in order to increase its fplendor! But even this plea, however inadequate to the juftification of minifters, was far remote from the truth. It was notorious that the debt had been incurred in carrying on and fupporting a fyftem of corruption; in obtaining that baneful and unbounded influence which had swept