HISTORY OF EUROPE. [*98 pose, the spoils of the New-Eng- general cowardice against the Ame. of portland fishery; this they represent to ricans. funkctubbe a scheme full of weakness and The amendment, made by the 1 1972 indecemcy; of indecency, because Lords, caused a disagreement be. tabiri it may be suspected that the desire tween the title and body of the bill. licial cant of the confiscation has created the which would have caused great em guilt; and of weakness, because it harrassment to t're officers who were surposes, that whatever is taken to carry it into execution; and the Event way from the colonies is of course to amendment was accordingly rejected Ef such as be transferred to ourselves. But by the Commons. This matier ocjuste rad this protest is particularly distin- casioned the holding of a confer guished, by the severe censure pas- ence, a few days after, between mit 1441 sed upon a Lord high in office, the two Houses, at which, the rea twho, in the late debates, lo remove sons offerer! by the Commons, hart puan ya all apprehension of the dangers ing appeared satisfactory, the Lords urlich might arise from the mea- agreed in rejecting the amendment sures that were in agitation, threw and the bill received the royal asout, most unadvisedly, a charge of sent on the 301i of March. carried Augmentation of the naval and land forces. Lord North's conciliatory morin. Debutes. The resolution passed upon a division. Mr. Sazwbridge's annual xotion. Annual motion on the Middlesex election. Petition and memoral from the assembly of Jamaica. Petition from the city of Waterford. Bill for restraining the trade of the southern colonies. Evidence in behalf of the West-India merchants and planters. Great importance of the sugar isłanils. Mr. Burke's conciliatory propositions. Great importance, and astonishing grouth of the American colonies. Debates. The previous question 'mazed und carried. Mr. Hartley's conciliatory motion. Debates on the third reading of the restraining bill. The bill pressed. Petitions, militzling with each other. Petition from the British settlers in Canadam from the Quakers. Address, remonstrance, and petition, from the city of London. Encouragement to the fisheries of Great-Britain and Ireland. Motion for bringing up the representution und remonstrance of the General Assembly of New-York. Motion for an amendment put and carried. Amended motion rejected. Memorial to the Lords from the sume Assemlily, and petition to the King. Memorial to the Lords rejected. Petition to the Lords from the British inhabitants of the province of Quebec. Lord Camden's bill for repealing the Quebec act. Debates. The bill rejected. Petition from the saine inhabitants of Quebec to the House of Commons. Sir George Surile's motion for repculing the Quebec act. Motion rejected upon a division. Speaker's speech. Speech from the throne. NE New-England restraining sion, that in attending to its protipal figure in this important ses. of which we are now to take notice. Upon conkey . pretend to foretel what events might raging the colonies to that resist- Upon a motion for an The subject was however brought addition of 2000 sea- up, and the same objections made à reduced peace establishment, intended military arrangements, by and thereby leading them graulually, which it appeared, that the force at istral into violení au coercive measures, Boston would be augmented to each of which was supposed to be about 10,000 men, which was the last, while they were rendered rteemed sufficient for entorcing the incapable of secing at any one point laws; and that the appointment of of viców, citlier the exient of the a number of additional officers, (a espence in which they were in- measure which was complained ot , volving their constituents, or of as incurring a needless expence ) the danger in which they were was necessary, as it was intended to plunging themselves and the na carry on the operations against the whole its attaining the ends to which it fiance fiance was hurled at America on tion to us, we shall be ready to af towereld the part of government, the noble ford them every just and reasonable Mljetty Lord at the head of administration indulgence;”-he, however, seeni. amazed all parties, and seemed fored to build more upon the princi a tine almost to dissolve his own, ples by which he was actuated in 31021 by that támous conciliatory motion moving for that address, and the with respect to America, which explanations he then made to the plaat was then, and has been since, the House, than upon the literal cón200subject of so much discussion. The struction of any part of it. He motion was for passing the follow- said, that it was his sense, and he ing resolution --That when the believed it to be the sense of the governor, council and assembly, or House, that parliament, in the pas general court of his Majesty's pro- sing of that address, not only meant appe vinces or colonies, shall propose to to shew the Americans its firm de make provision, according to their termination in the support of its respective conditions, circumstances just rights; but, also its tenderness, and situations, for contributing their and conciliatory disposition, upon proportion to the common detence, the making of proper concessions; such proportion to be raised under and that particularly, upon the the authority of the general court, great object of dispute, the point or general assembly of such pro- of taxation, although they cowlu vince or colony, and disposable ' by never give up the right, and 'must parliament; and sliall engage to ahvays maintain the doctrine that nake provision also for the support 'every part of the empire was bound of the civil government, and the to bear its share of service and buradministration of justice in such then in the common defence; yet, province or colony, it will be pro- as to the mode of contribution, it per, if such proposal should be ap- that, and not the question of right, proved of by his Majesty in parlia- was the bone of contention, if the ment , and for so long as such pro- Americans would propose such vision shall be made accordingly, to mcans as were inost agrecable to forbear , in respect of such pro: ince themselves, and at the same time of colony, to levy any duties, tax, or would effectually answer the end, assessment, or to impose any further parliament would not hesitate a 50 duty, tax, or assessinent, except on moment to silspend the exercise of the ly such duties as it may be expedi- right; and that they would con- He said, that the address re. colony, or plantation respectively quired such a inoinent as the pro The minister introduced this mo- posed resolution; an explanation tion by a long speech, in which by parliament itself, which would he endeavoures to shew that it was leave no room for doubt, nor op | upon the late address, par- portunity of evasion; that as it ticularly the following passage held out ideas of peace, it should ". and whenever any of the colo- shew in the most clear, esplicit, nics shall make a proper applica- and definitive terms, what the come ditions 1 founded principles which they pretend, they jects, and displayed great historical ciples, agree with this proposition; it. He added, that in this is that ditions were upon which it might vious to a relaxation on our side. nakt be obtained. This resolution mark- That the greatest nations, this naed the ground on which negocia- tion includech, Jiad often made the tion might take place; it was ex most solemn declarations, and enplicit, it defined the terms, specified tored into the most religious en the persons from wliom the pro- gagernents to adhere unalterably to i posals must come, and to whom they certain points, which afterwards , le cu inust be made; it pointed out the when circumstances changed, they with a end and purpose for which the con- departed from without scruple and fearles tributions were to be given, and without bianie. He instanced in this ma the persons from whom the grant of the late Spanish war, in which we sering them was to originate; and it declared, that we should never find a sin takes away every ground of suspi- make peace unless the point of cu dan: cion as to the application of the re- scurch was given up; yet peace was predatore venuc 10 purposes for which the made without giving up the search. liep Americans would not grant their In the grand alliance, the parties money, by its specific appropria- engaged to each other that no prince tion to the public detence. of the House of Bourbon should sit pe bene! That this resolution would be an on the throne of Spain; yet parace infallible touchstone to try the sin- was made with a prince of the al find cerity of the Americans;. if their House of Bourbon sitting on that is trans professions are real, and their op- throne. He cited many other in pan, en position only, founded upon the stances of a like dereliction of ob police must, consistently with those prin- knowledge and ability in applying but if they are actuated by sinister stance he was the more ready to give motives, and have dangerous de- way, because it was found by expesigns in contemplation, their re- rience, that besides the displeasure fusal of these terms will expose our attempt to tax had caused in the them to the world. We shall then colonies, the result proved very be prepared, and know how to act; unproductive in point of revenue, after having strewn our wisdom, our from the want of a local knowledge justice, and our 'humanity, by give of the best methods of imposing and ing them an opportunity of releem- collecting the duties. ing their past faults, and holding Upon the first bruit of consiliaout to them fitting terms of accoma tory measures being proposed by Trodation; if they reject them, we the minister, it was su...ised, that shall be justified in taking the most lie was cither going to resign, and coercive measures, and they must would first make a disavowal of be answerable to God and nan for those public measures which lead the consequences. been lately pursued, or that from He declared himself of opinion, some strange convulsion in the in, that no declaration of his, or even ternal cabinet, the whole political of the Houscitself, could bind to an system of government was to be adherence strictly to any former re- changed; all those members who solution relative to the submission were within hicaring accordingly to be required of the colonies, pre- hastened to the House, with the most dhe esistable, ready to break, and to of argument. This task fell to the trost eager expectation. Nor was be attended with numberless had the astonishinent less within doors. oncs; that the proposal was, in From some perplexity in its con- effect, an acknowledgment of somestruction, and obscurity in the thing really grievous in the idea of words , the extent or drift of the mo- taxing America by parliament; tion was not immediately compre- that it was therefore a shamcful prehended. The courtiers looked at varication, and a incan departure cach other with amazement, and from principle. They finally conseemed at a loss in what light to cluded, that they would make no consider the minister. That nu concessions to rebels with arms in merous high prerogative party, who their brands ; and that they would always loved a strong government, enter into no measure for a settleHome lodged, and accordingly had, upon in whatever hands it might bé 'ment with the Americans in which an express and definitive acknowprinciple, ever opposed any relaxa- ledgment from them, of the supretion in favour of the colonies, heard macy of parliament, was not a prethe propositions with horror, and liminary article. So high was the considered themselves as abandoned dissatisfaction on this side, that'a and betrayed. Even some of the motion was made for the chairman old staunch friends of government, of the committee to quit the chair. who had always gone with every The minister was repeatedly called administration, and uniformly pur- upon his legs, either to make exşưed thic same line of conduct in all planations, or to endeavour to rechanges of men and measures, be- concile seeming contradictions. gan now more than to waver. In In this state of disorder and cona word, the treasury benches seemed fusion, when all government and lo totter, and that ministerial pha- command seemed at an end, it was lans, which had been so long ir- found necessary tochange the ground disorder. lot of a gentleman of the long robe, The opposition to the minister's who had been for some years in motion , accordingly originated on position, and had lately distinguishhis own side. They asserted, that ed hinself for lis zcal in promoting dic propositions contained in it, so all the measures for reducing the far from being founded upon, were colonies. This learned gentleman in direct opposition to every prin- undertook to interpret the speech ciple and idea of the address; that and inotion, and to prove that noby adopting it, they must give up thing less was meant or effected by Stery ground they had gone upon either than a dereliction of the in the whole course of American claims or right of parliament, or a measures ; that it was a contradic- yeilding in any degree io the insotion to all the acts and declarations lence of the Americans ; but, on parliament ; that even upon the the contrary, a more wise and efprinciples of the gentlemen in op- fectual method of enforcing the position, (to whoin it was intended rights of the one and repressing the as a means of paying court) it could insolence of the other. thie be productive of no good conse- speech of the noble proposer had quence; but upon their own, would seemed chiefly addressed to the opVol. XVII. 1770; [*G] position, rood op siparing |