Walfingham, who dwelt particularly on the dangerous confequences of a precipitate peace, which would be throwing away the advantages we had gained by our perleverance in this arduous conteft, and yielding to defpondence, at a time when we ought to make the most of the difficulties our enemies had to contend with, and were not likely to furmount, if we continued to act with the refolution that had hitherto characterised our measures.

In reply to thefe affertions, it was observed by the duke of Bedford, that it was more confiftent with the dignity of a Briti parkament, to frame an addrefs of its own, than to copy the fpeech of the minifter, though delivered from the throne. His fentiments differed materially from the minifterial language he had heard. It reprefented the French as on the verge of ruin; bat the truth of facts, opposed to the illufion of words, was that they were hitherto fuperior in the conteft, notwithstanding the conftant predictions of the minifter and his partifans, during the three preceding years, that they had not fufficient refources to prolong it another campaign. The duke adverted with great feverity to the reiterated allegation, that the French government was incapable of fulfilling the cuffomary duties and relations of amity and good understanding with other ftates. He reprobated with equal afperity the fruities deftraction of men in the Weft Indies, and the ill-fated expedition to the coaft of France. Thefe, and the other evils of the war, particularly the fcarcity that afflicted the nation, he imputed to the mifconduct and incapacity of minifters. It was therefore the duty of parliament to

lay thefe grievances before the fovereign, and to fupplicate him to relieve the fufferings of the nation, by confenting to a negociation for peace, which was the only effectual remedy for the many calamities under which the people laboured, in confequence of this unfortunate war.

The obfervations of the duke of Bedford were warmly controverted by lord Grenville, who infifted that the fituation of this country was evidently fuperior to that of France in every point of view. Our fucceffes at fea were far more conducive to the internal prosperity of the kingdom, than the dear-bought victories of the French had, or could ever prove to the people of France. The depreciation of the paper currency in that country, was, in his opinion, a circumftance to its detriment, and in our favour, that fully deferved the reiterated notice that had been taken of it. The moft judicious of the French financiers were deeply fenfible of the effects it would ultimately produce, and ftrongly deprecated the farther flue of any notes, and the withdrawing of no lefs than ten parts out of thirteen from circulation. With fach glaring proofs of the pecuniary diftrefies of the enemy, was if prudent or reafonable to advife pacific meafures, when with a moderate degree of patience on our fide, he would probably be foon compelled to liften to more reasonable terms of peace, than the pride reluiting from his late fuccefles would now permit him to accept. He concluded, by reprefenting the failure of the expedition to the coaft of France as occafioned by the treachery of thote French corps, that had been too. contidently relied upon.

He

He was replied to by the marquis of Lanfdowne, who pointedly animadverted on the profperous fitu ation wherein minifters allerted the country flood at the prefent moment. What he had foretold was come to pafs; our allies had deferted us, and our enemies were every where victorious. The trite argument of their ruined finances was ftill revived; but in what state were our own? were they inexhauftible? were they equal to the fupport of ourfelves, together with the weight of those pretended friends who had taken our money, and converted it to purposes entirely foreign to thofe for which it was granted, and who were waiting with their accuftomed avidity for fresh grants. Taxes could only be carried to a certain length: beyond which they would in this country, as in all others, become intolerable. But money alone was no fecurity for fuccefs; fagacity was of far greater confequence. The minifterial projects and enterprizes difplayed little of this effential requifite; failures and difappointments continually attended them. This however was not furprifing, as their attempts againft the foe were glaringly marked with imprudence. The expedition to St. Domingo, for inftance, was an unpardonable act of temerity; here the French were infurmountable: it was the capital feat of their ftrength in the Weft Indies; of this the great lord Chatham was fo well convinced that he wifely forbore, even in the midft of his fucceffes, to make it an object of attack. The French, it was true, were ftraitened for money, but they had that which was better; they had good foldiers and excellent commanders; on thofe they chiefly depended, and

fortune had favoured them. Cou rage was inexhaustible, but wealth had its limits: and the example of France ought to warn us of the danger of ftretching the pecuniary refources of the nation beyond their natural bearings. The war had tried them to fuch an extent, that it was time to cease the experiment how far they would go, and to make negociation take place of hoftilities.

The earls of Mansfield and Darnley fpoke in favour of the address, and the duke of Grafton and the earl of Lauderdale against it. The latter inveighed bitterly against minifters for the affurances they had given to the public in the former feflions, that fuch was the fuperior might of the confederacy, that France would be utterly unable to refift it; but how different the reality from the fair appearances they had held out! defeat and defertion had characterifed thofe allies in whofe name fuch lofty promifes had been made; and to complete the picture of the national calamities, we were now vifited by a fearcity, undeniably owing to the improvident conduct of thole at the helm; yet minifters boldly allerted that our condition was improved, and that of the enemy worfe than ever. But did not facts give the strongest denial to thofe thameful afleverations? was not the enemy in potleffion of all we had conquered, and preparing for new conquefts? was not the coalition broken and diffolved, and fome of its principal members in treaties of peace and amity with the French? could any man of fenfe and integrity interpret fuch things as improvements in the fituation of this country? did they entitle us to expect that the

French.

French fhould be the first to fue for peace, as ministers prefumptuously afferted?

The amendment brought forward by the duke of Bedford was ftrongly opposed by earl Spencer, who contended that in so extensive a war, waged in almost every part of the globe, it could not be expected that the mercantile fhipping of this country would always efcape the vigilance of an enemy, whofe only and perpetual object at fea was depredation. It was indeed more farprifing that his captures were fo few, when it was confidered that we carried on nearly the whole trade of Europe. He gave a fatisfactory account of the naval tranfactions during the peceding feason, and made it appear that the mifchances which had befallen the commercial fleets were owing to unavoidable accidents, and not to mifconduct. He juftified the employment of Mr. Puiffaye, as a perfon through whofe means the principal communication was kept up with France, where he headed a confiderably party of royalifts.

The duke of Norfolk spoke for

the amendment, and the lord chancellor in oppofition to it. The duko of Bedford in refuming that fubject recurred to the expreffions used by lord Grenville, which were, that "in cafe the conftitution now of fered to the people of France, fhould be found likely to establish itfelf in fuch a form as to fecure a government that might preferve the relations of peace and amity, his objections to treat with them would be entirely removed.”

The fubftance of what had been fpoken by lord Grenville, was confomable to the words 'taken down by the duke of Bedford; but the former declared himself of opinion, that it was not parliamentary to make the words of a peer, uttered in the courfe of the debate, a formal ground of propofing or of recalling a motion. Hereon the duke confented to withdraw his amendment; refuting however his approbation to that part of the addrefs which afferted an improvement in the fituation of public affairs. The addrefs was then finally moved, and carried in the affirmative.

CHAP.

in this measure; but the marquis of Lansdowne accufed the minifters of intending to feize this opportunity to work upon the paffions and fears of the people, and to lead their reprefentatives into conceffons derogatory to the public liberty, and debafing to their chanaer, in order to confirm their own power at the expence of the confiitution.

A conference with the commons was held accordingly in the courfeof the day, and witnefles were examined in relation to the outrages committed. Their evidence was communicated to the commons, and both houfes unanimously concurred in the addreffes propofed.

On the fixth of November, lord Grenville brought forward a bill, for better fecuring the king's perfon and government. The motive he alleged, was the neceffity of preventing abufes fimilar to thofe that tad taken place on the opening of the fellion. He explicitly attributed them to the licentious language and maxims held forth in the audacious meetings, which had been fo long frei, without due notice on the part of the legiflature, but which were now arrived to fuch a degree of infolence, that they required immediate restriction. He would recar on this occafion, he faid, to precedents framed in approved times, the reign of Elizabeth, and the commencement of the reign of Charles II. He entertained ro doubt that the houfe coincided with his opinion, that a remedy ought inftantly to be applied to the danger that threatened monarchy, in the attack fo daringly made on the king's perfon. In order more effedually to obviate fo great an evil, he would move the paffing of a bill, VOL. XXXVIII.

which he produced, and which was entitled "an act for the fafety and prefervation of his majesty's perfon and government against treasonable and feditious practices and attempts."

The bill introduced by lord Grenville was reprefented by the earl of Lauderdale, as creating new crimes and treafons, in addition to thofe already contained in the criminal code of this country. It tended materially to enlarge the laws refpecting treafon, and would effect an alarming alteration in the very nature and fpirit of the conftitution. There was no evidence that the infults offered to the king originated in the meetings of the people in the fields near Ilington, or in any other places. Thefe meetings had been remarkably peaceable, and thofe who harangued the crowds that reforted to them from all quarters of the metropolis, were particularly careful to warn them againft all riotous proceedings, left minifters fhould avail themselves of that pretext, to put an end to all aflemblies of the people. So harfi a measure as that propofed had not therefore the leaft foundation in the unruly behaviour of thofe meetings, and were it to pafs into a law, the liberty of conferring together, fo long enjoyed by the English, and which they juftly confidered as their indubitable right, would be radically deftroyed, and with it the firmeft fupport of public freedom. The intent of minifters, in adopting to unprecedented a measure, was clearly to filence the complaints of the nation against a war that had involved it in fo many calamities. and which they were determined to carry on in defiance of the ge neral inclination to peace. The [C]