falvo for the honor of parliament, gave them little apprehen fion or uneafinefs; and it was not till after an interval of se→ veral years, when the colonies had been harraffed and wearied out by a long feries of vexations and encroachments on their eftablished privileges, that the affembly of Massachusetts at length, by a formal refolution, voted the declaratory act to be a grievance. The mere affertion of the claim, though harfhly expressed, would have excited no ferious difcontent, had the authority of Great Britain been exercised in the old conftitutional and regular mode; and the council of the Maffachufetts, with a degree of wisdom which it would have been happy if the parliament of Great Britain had deigned to imitate, fay in their excellent anfwer to the bold political dogmas advanced in a ftudied fpeech by the governor: "If, from the nature and end of government, the fapreme authority of parliament must be limited; the enquiry will be, what are the limits of that authority with regard to this co lony? To fix this with precifion, to determine the exact lines of right and wrong in this cafe, as in fome others, is difficult, and we have not the prefumption to attempt it.”

Exclufive of the merit of carrying into execution, in contempt of the reproaches and clamors of the late rafh and blundering ministers, this wife and conciliatory measure, the present administration, in the general tenor of their conduct, acted in a manner which reflected the higheft credit on their integrity and understanding. The declaratory act, however theoretically difputable, ferved to display their folicitude to fuftain the honor of the nation; which was made farther parent by an act passed under their patronage, requiring compenfation to be made by the American affemblies to those who had fuffered by the riots confequent on the stamp act*,

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The act repealing the ftamp act, when tranfmitted to America, was accompanied by a circular letter to the governors of the feveral provinces by Mr. Secretary Conway, written in that firm and temperate ftyle which was at once calculated to maintain the honor of government, and to appease the difcontent's and apprehensions of the people, In a very important feparate dispatch to Sir Francis

The cider tax, fo odious to the nation, was, in the course of the feffion, as to its most obnoxious clauses, and so far as its operation extended to private individuals, repealed. The oppreffive and justly unpopular duty on windows was modified and mitigated. General warrants were, by a refolution of the house of commons, declared illegal;-various useful and important regulations made in the Weft India and American trade, and the many abfurd and pernicious restraints imposed by the former miniftry removed. Mr. Grenville, by the introduction of certain new and onerous clauses into the hovering act, and rigorously enforcing the execution of them, by ftationing a long and formidable line of ships of war off the American coafts, had, as has been already intiH 2

mated,

Francis Bernard, governor of the Massachusetts, this minifter fays: "Nothing will tend more effectually to every conciliating purpose, and there is nothing therefore I have in command more earnestly to require of you, than that you fhould exert yourself in recommending it strongly to the affembly, that full and ample compenfation be made to those who, from the madness of the people, have fuffered for their deference to the acts of the British legiflature." Notwithstanding the moderation which now pervaded the English councils, and which dictated the difpatch received by the governor, it is very remarkable that the speech by which Sir Francis Bernard opened the next general court of the Massachusetts, June 1766, breathes the spirit of haughtiness, irritation, and discord. "He declares the juftice and humanity of this requifition to be so forcible that it cannot be controverted. The authority by which it is introduced fhould preclude all difputations about complying with it." In a tone of reproach he adds-" Both the bufinefs and the time are moft critical. Let me entreat you to recollect yourfelves, and confider well what you are about-Shall the private interefts, paffions, or refentments of a few men deprive this whole people of the great and manifold advantages which the favor and indulgence of their fovereign and his parliament are now providing for them? Surely, after his majesty's coMMANDS are known, the very perfons who have created the prejudices and prepoffeffions I now endeavor to combat, will be the first to remove them."-It did not appear, by their fubfequent conduct, that the affembly were at all difpofed to refift the recommendation enjoined in the letter of the fecretary, which, in their reply to the governor, they declare their refolution to embrace the first convenient opportunity to confider and act upon. But, highly offended at the general strain and tenor of the governor's speech, they add, "In the mean time we cannot but obferve, that it is conceived in much higher and stronger terms in the fpeech than in the letter. Whether in thus exceeding your excellency fpeaks from your own authority or a HIGHER, is not with us to determine. If this recommenda tion, which your excellency terms a requifition, be founded on fo much justice and humanity that it cannot be controverted-if the authority with which it is introduced fhould preclude all difputation about complying with it; we should be glad to know what freedom we have in the cafe? With regard to the rest of your excellency's fpeech, we are conftrained to obferve, that the general air and ftyle of it favors much more of an act of free grace and pardon, than of a parliamentary addrefs to the two houses of affembly; and we most fincerely wish your excellency had been pleased to reserve it, if needful, for a proclamation.”

mated, in a great degree fucceeded in his project of destroys ing the contraband trade from time immemorial carried on between the British colonies and the Spanish Main, and which was in fact equally conducive to the prosperity, if not effential to the existence, of both. So oppofite were the commercial politics of this weak and opinionated minifter to thofe of his predeceffor Sir Robert Walpole, who, on being urged to adopt meafures to the fame effect replied, "that he fhould think himself ill employed in fuch an attempt; for He was certain, that if America gained 500,000l. by this traffic, 250,000l. of it would find its way to England.”

A new and beneficial treaty of commerce was also concluded with Ruffia; the long contefted affair of the Canada bills fettled to the fatisfaction of the holders, and ftrong and effectual remonftrances made to the French court for the more complete demolition of the harbor and fortifications of Dunkirk. Notwithstanding, however, the happy effects fo visibly refulting from the general spirit and disposition, yet more than the acts of this administration, the tranquillity at home and the reputation abroad which they had already eftablifhed; fcarcely were the minifters fixed in their offices, than a secret refolution was taken to remove them. The repeal of the ftamp act was a measure odious to the cabinet of Carlton House, and it was inceffantly inveighed against, both in and out of parliament, by the adherents and partisans of the Favorite-men who prefumed to arrogate to themselves the appellation of the KING'S FRIENDS as a dereliction of the honor and dignity of government.

"During the adminiftration of the marquis of Rockingham, fays a celebrated writer, "an attempt was made to carry on the government without the concurrence of the CABAL, and to restore the principles and policy of the whigs. But this was only a tranfient cloud. No one will doubt that fuch men were abhorred and violently oppofed by the court faction, and that such a system could have but a short duration. This plan of FAVORITISM is the fountain of all thofe

bitter waters of which the nation has been made fo deeply to drink. There has not been one administration which has not fufficiently experienced the utter incompatibility of that faction with the public peace, and with all the ends of good government; fince, if they oppofed it, they foon loft every power of ferving the crown; if they fubmitted to it, they lost all the efteem of their country.*."

Lord BUTE, underftanding the perfect concurrence of lord Temple with his brother Mr. Grenville on the subject of American politics, and that he had even declared the repeal of the ftamp act to be a virtual furrender of the authority of the British legislature over the colonies, determined upon making advances to his lordship in order to form a new adminiftration. Lord Temple, who appears to have been a man upright, difinterested, fincere, poffeffing an high sense of honor, gracious in his manners, but ftiff in his opinions, and endowed with a capacity not perhaps much more elevated than that of his brother the late minifter, refused with little ceremony to hearken to any propofitions from a quarter fo obnoxious. During the progrefs of the bill of repeal through the house of peers, it was more than infinuated by the Favorite himself, that the repeal was a measure very disagreeable to the king ;-upon which lord Rockingham afferted, that his majesty's approbation of the measure was clear and unequivocal. Notwithstanding which, lord Strange the next day repeated the affertion, that the king highly disapproved the bill. On this lord Rockingham, greatly furprised, requefted, at the next audience, his majefty's opinion in writing; but this was refused, and the new ministers were now convinced that they had loft, or rather that they had never poffeffed, his majesty's confidence.

An unfuccefsful effort was now made to effect an accommodation between the whigs in and out of office: and an interview took place between lord Rockingham and lord Chatham. In the course of the conference, lord Chatham declaring that for this purpose a TRANSPOSITION

* Thoughts on the caufes of the prefent discontents.

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of OFFICES would be neceffary," and this expreffion being supposed to imply the removal of Lord Rockingham from the treasury, the negotiation was diffolved in its very commencement. A difference arifing foon after this, between the ministers and the chancellor, respecting the plan or project of a constitution for the province of Canada, which the chancellor, naturally morofe and furly, and who had never been cordially their friend, condemned in terms of indignation and intemperance, the cabinet of Carlton House were again encouraged to renew their efforts for the forming of a new administration; and, for this purpofe, it was determined to offer Mr. Pitt a carte blanche. Mr. Pitt being introduced to the king at Richmond (July 12, 1766), was told by his majesty, that he had no terms to propofe. He put himself entirely into his hands. Mr. Pitt, now in the ful ness of exultation, fent immediately for lord Temple, then at Stowe, and acquainted his lordship, that being empowered by his majesty to form an administration, he was defirous to fee his lordship at the head of the treafury, he himself purpofing to take the post of privy feal; at the fame time producing a list of names destined to occupy the other great departments of government. Lord Temple faid, "he did not conceive, from the tenor of the conference with which he also had been honored by the king, that Mr. Pitt was to be abfolute mafter; if he had been previously fo informed, he fhould not have given himself or Mr. Pitt the trouble of this vifit, being determined to come in upon an equality with Mr. Pitt; and in cafe he were to occupy the moft refponfible place under government, he fhould infift upon the introduction of fome of his friends into the cabinet, and he thought Mr. Pitt must be fenfible he could not come in with honor unless he was allowed his fhare of the nomination. It was his idea to conciliate and unite all parties, which was the ground on which Mr. Pitt's former glorious administration had been erected; but if Mr. Pitt infifted upon a fuperior dictation, he defired the conference might be broken off,

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