duce unneceffary applications to his Majefty, and is difrefpe&ful to his Majefty and to the House:"s

When Mr. Fox interfered, and recommended in adjournment, that the right honourable Genteman might have time to recollect himself, ant confider whether he had treated the Houfe with that refpe which might be expected from a minifter ftanding in his peculiar circumfince:.

On the following day, Saturday, as 24th Jan. foon as Mr. Pitt had taken his place, Mr. Powis role, and after lamenting with tears the extraordinary and difgraceful fcene he had been a witness to not long before, and thanking the members who had fo generously put an end to it, he propofed the following question to the nifter:Whether be could pledge himself that the Houfs fhould meet there in parliament on Monday next ?. After a short pause, Mr. Pitt get up, and faid, that he faw no reafon for re ceding from his refolution of refufing to pledge himself as to any advice he might or might not, under any poflible circumstances, think proper to give his Majefty; but with regard to the prefent question, he thought he might venture to fay, that he had no intention to advise his Majelly to prevent that House from meeting on Monday.

Having received this affurance, Mr. Powis moved, that the Houle fhould immediately adjourn to Monday, in hopes that before their next meeting fome means might be invented of heal ing divifionet that threatened the country with anarchy and confufioh. This motion was accord cordingly agreed to

On that day his Majesty's answer to 26th Jan. the addrefs of the Houle being read by the clerk, the following motion was made by Mr. Eden, with a view to give the Houfe a more permanent fecurity than the precarious mode of existence it then enjoyed only from day to day:

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"That it appears to this Houfe, that his Majefty's faid mott gracious anfwer contains affuraaces upon which this Houfe cannot but most firmly rely That his Majefty will not, by the prorogation or diffolution of parliament, inter rupt this House in their confideration of proper mealares for regulating the affairs of the Eaft ladia company, and for fupporting the public credit and revenues of this country; objects which, in the opinion of his Majelty, and of this public, demand the molt immediate and unremitting attention of parliament.”

As foon as the motion was read, Mr. Pitt de clared, that his Majesty had indéed pledged hi.nfelf in his anfwer not to interrupt their meeting again after their adjournment; but he faw not how it could be interred, that the royal word was pledged any farther. To a motion therefore affixing an unlimited conftruction to the King's anfwer, he must give his diffent; and that for the strongest reason that could poffibly be adduced, namely, because he knew when he adviled his Majesty to ufe the words in which the answer was framed, he never had fuch an indefinite fenfe of them in his contemplation.→ In the prefent fituation of affairs, he thought a

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diffolution could not 'but be attended with great detriment and mischief, and therefore he should not advise any fuch exercife of the prerogative.

The minister was then called upon to fuifl the engagement he had entered into with the Houle, of giving them fome fati factory reafon's for his continuing in office after the repeated refolutions that had paffed against him. In compliance with this requifition, Mr. Piit began by afferting, that though the tuation of a minifter maintaining his poft, after the House of Commons had declared him undeferving of their confidence, was novel and extraordinary, yet it was in his opinion by no means unconftitutional.He conceived that, by the conftitation, neither the immediate appointment or removal of a minitter refted with that Houfe; that he neither could nor ought to remain long in fuch a ficua. tion, he was ready to confefs; but he was bound to use his own discretion, in preventing the mifchievous confequences that might attend an inftant refignation. He might meritoriously continue in office, if he were perfuaded that his refignation would leave the country without any executive government at all. Tt behoved him to confider who were likely to be his fucceffors; and he was bound, in honour and in duty, fo far to fupport the prerogative of the crown, as not to quit a fituation, because it was become difficult or dangerou, till he faw Tome profpe& of its being filed in a manner more acceptable to all the parties concerned.

About this time a ridiculous circumftance, brought forward by the precipitate zeal of the friends of the miniftry, for the purpose of retorting on their adverlaries the charge of undue influence, engaged the attention of the House of Commons.

On the 24th of this month, Mr. Yorke ac quainted the Houfe, that he had matters to communicate, in which their privilees were deeply concerned: the firft was, that an offer had been made to a member of the House, of a place of L. 500 a year, provided he would change fides, and give his vote in oppofition to the prefent ministry; the fecond, that L. 500' had been fent to Scotland by the fame party, and lodged in the bank of Edinburgh, for the purpose of de fraying the travelling expences, and thereby quickening the pace of the Scotch members and that the lord advocate of Scotland, Mr. Herry Ekine, was the perfon to whom the difpofal of the money was entrusted. Mr. Yorke having further acquainted the Houfe, that the member, Mr. Dalrymple, from whom he received this intelligence, was then prefent, and ready to give the Haute any further fatisfaction they might require, he was called on by oppofitioi to mention the particulars. He accordingly related, that a Mr. Hamilton, of Bargeny, formerly of the Houfe, had offered him a place, on the conditions before ftated, of L. 500 a year from the duke of Portland, or the Portland administration With regard to the fecond ftory, he had been affured of the fact in a public company, by Mr. Charter, a member not then in his place.

As foon as the intelligence was thus itated, the triends of the duke of Portland infifted that it

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fhould be taken down in writing by the clerk, in order to be fully investigated. A meffage was fent privately to the duke, to acquaint him with what had paffed, in confequence of which he immediately repaired to the lobby, and defired the Houle might be acquainted that he was ready to come within their bar, and answer fuch queftions relative to the fubject as they might chufe to put to him. Several members fufpecting that the whole matter might have originated in a jeft, expelled their wishes that it might be dropped; but the members who had brought forward the charges, refusing their confent to a motion, in which it propofed to state that the said charges had been holly abandoned by them, an order was made for the attendance of Mr. Hamilton,

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A few days afterwards, Mr. Charteris being in his place, explained to the Houfe the occafion of the jet which he had put upon his honoura ble friend, and which he was forry to find had, occafioned fo much ferious difcuffion; and it appearing by a letter read to the House from the gentleman himself, that the offer of Mr. Hamilton had ariten, from the fame mirthful dif pofition, the order for his attendance was difcharged, and the following motion agreed los

That it appears to this Houle, that the cha ges contained in the faid information [the fame having been previously lead by the clerk] relpecting the duke of Portland and the late ad, miniftration, were groundlef."

As the ground, on which the minifler endea. ; voured to defend his continuance in office, after three several voles of dilapprobation, had passed: the House of Commons, amounted in fact to nothing more than that he was of opinion his remaining in power was ferviceable to the country, though the House chole to think otherwile, it is fcarcely neceflary to add that they appear ed to the majority wholly unfatisfactory. The next step therefore, which in the course of parliamentary proceedings ought regularly to have been adopted,, was an addief to the throne, to remove him rom his Majefty's councils; and fuch a meature, by bringing the conteft to an immediate decifion, would, at all events have refcued the government of the country from the disgraceful uation in which it then fond, But as, on the one hand, the strong and decided oppofition of the country gentlemen to the dif. folution of parliament feem to have overawed the minister into the dereliction of a step fu, ne ceffary on his part, fo, on the other hand, their gencial call for an union prevented the opposis tion from purfing thole meatures of vigour, which the conflitution of parlament, in concurrence with their own intereft, obviously re quired.

On the 26th of January, a meeting 26th Jan. of fuch members o: the Houfe of Com mons a wei anxious to prom te a coalition of parties met at the St. Alban's tavern. Their umber amounted to near leventy; and an ad. diefs was immediately agreed to and figned, and ordered to be pretenied by a committee of their body to the Duke of Portland and Mr. Plic

The addreik was expres in the following

"We whose names are hereunto figned, members of the House of Commons, being fully perfuaded that the united efforts of thofe in whole integrity, abilities, and constitutional principles we have reafon to confide, can alone rescue the country from its prefent distracted flate, do join in most humbly entreating them to communicate with each other on the arduous fituation of public affairs, trufting, that by a li beral and unreserved intercourfe between them, every impediment may be removed to a cordial co-operation of great and refpectable characters, acting on the fame public principles, and entitled to the support of independent and difia-: terefted men."

In answer to this addrefs, both parties expreffed themselves, defirous of complying with thes wishes of fo respectable a meeting, but the Duke of Portland conceived that he could not have any interview with Mr. Pitt, for the purpofe of union, to long as the latter held his tu ation as prime minifter, in defiance of the reibJutions of the House of Commons. On the other hand, Mr. Pitt declined refigning, eis ther actually or virtually, as a preliminary to negociation.

In order to co-operate with and afad Feb. filt the exertions of the meeting at the St. Alban's, it was moved by one of their meme. bers, and carried unanimously in the House of Commons," That the prefent arduous and cri tical fituation of public affairs required the exertions of a firm, efficient, extended, and united administration, entitled to the confidence of the people, and fuch as might have a tendency to put an end to the unfortunate divifions and dif. traction of this country."

In addition to this, a fecond resolution was moved by Mr. Coke, which had for its object the reprehenfion of Mr. Pitt's refusal to refign, declaring," that the continuance of the prefent ministers in office was an obitacle to the forming a film, efficient, extended, and united administration."

This latt motion occafioned much debate.– The ground on which it was combated, wass the growing popularity of the new adminiftration, and the Houle was therefore adjured not to provoke the people to go to the foot of the throne, and implore the crown to rescue them from its tyranny. On the other fide, it was afleited that the popularity of the minifters was founded on a temporary delufion, and fupported by artful mifrepresentations and grois calumnies. That the defign to create a diffenfion between that House and the people abriarge, was of a nature the molt alarming and dangerous to the conftitution, and a daring attack upon the privileges of the Houle, which, it not firmly refiftcd, would terminate in the deftruction of the li-* Mr. Pitt threw himself berties of the nation. on the candour and justice of the Houfe: but declared firmly, that he would not by any ma-. nagements be induced to refign. To march out of his poft with a halter about his neck, change his armeur, and meanly beg to be re-admitted, and confidered as a volunteer in the army of the eucing, was an humiliation to which he would

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an arrangement more on the idea of having equal very right of fuch a refufal was questioned.numbers of each party in the Cabinet, than on The exercife of this privilege, in former times,n mutual confidence and unity of principles. Mr. was founded on principles which, it was con=" Pitt replied, that the word objected to would be tended, did not now exist. The fettled revenuestr b.lt explained at their conference, and declined of the crown were then fufficient for all the or-2 all further preliminary difcuffions. Two other dinary purposes of the execative, government, propofals were offered by the Duke of Portland, without an annual application to parliament the first, that he should he permitted to conftrue and it was only on extraordinary demands, fuch a the meflage of Mr. Pitt to imply a virtual reas for the prolecution of wars difapproved of by fignation the fecond, that he might receive his parliament, that the right of refufal was exer Majelly's commands relative to the conference cifed; whereas, in the prefent ftate of our gue from the fovereign in perfon: but they were both vernment, to deny the ordinary annual fupports refufed. would be, in fact, to diffolve the whole fabric of government.

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Thus ended all hopes of a coalition of parties; and the meeting at the St. Alban's clofed their efforts with declaring, That they heard, with infinite concern, that all further progrefs towards an union was prevented by a doubt refpecting a fingle word; and that they were unanimously of opinion that it would be no dishonourable ftep in either of the Gentlemen to give way,, and might be highly advantageous to the public welfare." It must, however, be confeffed, that the attempt itself, though highly applauded in general, was confidered by fome as futile and abfurd, that it did not promile, any folid or perinanent fyftem, and that it contributed in a confiderable degree, by inducing delay decition to aggravate the milchic it was deugo ed to remedy. This day the Chancellor of the Ex1 Schreb. chequer being asked, previous to the canfiderat arton of fupply for the fervice of the one nance, whether he had any thing to &mmunicale to Houfe relative to the relojupons that had been land before the King, informed the H.dio, That his Majesty, alter a sunfideration of all the circumstances of the country, had not thought proper to dimifs his minifters, that his minifters had not religned."

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The Chancellor of the Exchequer, without denying the right of refufing fupplies in cafes of neceffity, contented himself with appealing to the justice of the House, whether his Majelly's refufal to dimifs Minifters, because that Houle had thought proper to condemn them without a trial, was a juftifiable ground for the exercise of it. On the divifion there appeared for post. poning the lupplies 208, against it, 196..

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As the fervice of the ordnance could not fuffer any inconvenience by deferring from time to time the report on the estimates of that establishment, it appears to have been the defign of the leaders of oppofition to have pursued that plan, as the molt conftitutional method of giving effect to the refolutions of the House of Commons, the other hand, the country Gentlemen, though they had given up all hopes of effecting a coali tion, and were extremely adverfe, on the fame principles, to the continuance of the minifters in office, yet they were not willing to Support-ay meature i had the mallet appearance of pufliing matters to extremities. If leemt, theseinte to have been agreed on, as a fort of compro and,mile, that the Jupplies should be fuffered by oppolition to proceed in their usual course, and that the country, party fhould take the lead in endeavouring to effect a removal of the miniftry by an application to the throne...

This intimation brought on a long and warm debate. The attention of the Hopfe was called to it in the most folemn manner. It was faid to be the first instance, fince the Revolution, of a dirtet denial on the part of the crown to cornpiv with the withes of the Hufe of Commons; that it was the time the House had not received a gracious answer from a Pince of the houfe of Brunswick, that it was a matter of melancholy, but most weighty confideration, that perfons had been found capable of adv ling his Majelly to depart from the uniform practice of his ancestors, from that line of conduct, under which the county had grown great, and ith, and powerful and that an event fo new and alarming required, on their part, a firm but moderate, a prudent but effectual, affertion of their privileges, that the power of granting or refuling the Tupplies was the conftitutional thield of their authority and that to this, if it should at lalt be found neceffary, they were bound to have relost; but to avoid all imputation of rathness or violence, and to leave his May's minil ters time to recollect themselves, it was only propofed to deler the report of the ordnauce elimates till the Friday following,

The mention of refusing the supplies was received by the other fide of the Houle as a threat, which even the utmolt madnels of action, it was band, dould not seriously defiga to execute. The

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Au addrels was accordingly moved by Mr, m Powis, to express the reliance, of 20th Feb. the Houle on his Majesty's royal wile dom, that he would take fuch measures as might lead to give effect to the wathes of his faith ul Commons, which had been already moft humbly presented to his Majesty,and to this it was afterward, on the motion of Mr. Eden, agteed! to add, by remoying any obftacle to the formation of fuch an administration as the Houle has described to be requifite in the prefentcritical and arduous flate of public affairs.". This addrefs was carried by a majority of twen ty-one.

The Houle of Lords, after the rejection of the India bill, as if exhaufted by fo unusual an for, beheld the Bruggles and diffenfions of the House of Cominons rather as 1.fpectater, than as a part of the conftitution deeply concerned in the refult. In order to break through this fence, which, at fo critical a time, was neither calculated to Tapport the dignity of the Houle nor the interell of the Minifter, the Earl of Effingham, on the 4th of February, moved two refolutione in oppofition to thole moved in the Houle of Commons on the 24th of December and the 16th of January, te

Tk. That an attempt on any one branch of ufage:That it was a duty peculiarly incumthe fegislature, to suspend the exécution of law, bent upon them to watch over, and endeavour -by separately assuming to itself the direction of a to prevent, the rash and precipitate exercise of difcretionary power, which, by act of parlia- any power, which might be attended with danment, il vetted in any body of men, to be ex-ger to public credit and lofs to the revenue:~ ercued as they fall think expedient, is unconfitutional.

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zd." That by the known principles of this conftitution, the undoubted authority of appointing to the great offices of executive government was folely vefted in the King, and that that House had every reason to place the firineft reliance in his Majesty's wisdom in the exercife of this prerogative.”

tas Thefe counter refolations were objected to by the friends of the late miniftry, as being in their nature productive of jealousy and animofities between the two Houfes.

That the refolation of the 24th of December conftituted a judicious and regular discharge of an indifpenfable duty:That had the House neglected to make a fimilar provision in the critical Gluation of public affairs, they must have been responsible to their conftituents for the moft alarming, consequences : Vod, That the House would moderately and firmly affert their privileges, and persevere in the confcientious dilcharge of what they owed to the nation and to pofterity."

On the 25th of Febuary the addrefs of the Commons was prefented to the King, and on the With regard to theft, it was stated, that 27th the Speaker reported to the Houfe his Mathe House of Commons had a peculiar cognizance jelly' antwer; in which, after affuring them of of all matters relating to the revenues, and that his earnest desire to put an end to the divifions and any interference of the Lords was a matter ever-distractions of the country, and reminding them objected to and d.fallowed by the other Houfe. -The second refolution was undoubtedly true, as an abftra& propofition ; but if fe was to lead to no confequences, it was an idle wafte of words unbecoming their lordships' dignity; if it was to be applied as a cenfure on the House of Comsmons, the confequences of it would be no other than difcord between the two Houses, and a diffolution of parliament.

On the other hand the refolations were fupported on this ground; that though any branch of the legislature was employed to declare its fentiments-on on every subject, yet the refolutions of the Honfe of Commons affuming in one infiance directly to controul a legal diferetionary power, and in the other infringing upon the King's prerogative, with a view to rettrain him from the choice of his own minifters, the Houle of Lords was called upon to expreis its abhorience of fuch alarming proceedings.

The refolutions, alter a fort debate, paffed by a confiderable majority.

of the recent endeavours he had uted for that purpose, he declares that he cannot fee that it would in any degree be advanced by the difen flion of those at prefent in his fervice.--He obferves, that no charge or complaint is fuggefted against his ministers, nor is any one of them specifically objected to; and, on the other hand, that numbers of his fubjects had expreffed to him the utmost fatisfaction on the change of his councils, Unde: thefe circumftances, he trusted the Houfe would not with for the removal of his prefent ministers, 'till there was fome prospect that fuch an union as had been called for might be carried into effect.

The confideration of his Majef- ift March. ty's answer was deferred to the first of March, on which day a fecond addrefs wat ordered to be prepared; in which, after ac knowledging his Majesty's gracious endeavours to give effect to the object of their late refolutions, they lament that the failure of those endeavours should be considered as a finals bar to the The House of Commons fuffered this attack accomplishment of to talutary and defirable a puron its refolutions, without being betrayed into pofe, and exprefs their concern and ditappointany violence or intemperance, and what an à ments that his Majelly had not been adviled to rore fealed time might have been productive of take any farther step toward uniting in the pubthe most pointed remonstrances, was now pro lie fervice thote whole joint efforts recently api ceeded in with much caution and forbearance-peared to his Majefty molt capable of producing To come to an open rupture with the Lords at to happy an effect: they reprefent that the Houle, this critical juncture of affairs might afford a with all humility, claims it as their right, and fpecious plea for a diffolution of parliament, and en every proper occasion feel it to be their boun1 the Houfe accordingly contented inlets with mov. den duty, to malvile his touching the exercile of ing for a "Committee to examine into the any branch of his royal prerogative; and, after utage of either house of parliament in regard to flating the fubttance of their former relolution“, the interpoling in the exercife of difcretionary the addrets concludes with declaring, " That as powers, vented in the fervants of the crown, or his Majolly's faithfut Commens, upon the mat inDany body of meo, for poblix parpofes,?»A_turelt deliberation, cannot but confider the cons variety of precedents were selected and reported by this committee from the Journale up the Hofe abCommons, fimilar to the "retplations objected to by the Lords, and imkonsequence vor the res port the Houle patted he fix dollowing refolutie on:** That the Hout had no hard to its lelf a sight to folpend the eccitron of the tiaws: That for them to declarothear.opinion res Spring: she exerciseco Bay xenetionary powery was conducntional, and agreeable to eftabited (b. i. of;

tinuance of the pretent Mmillers as an inturé mountable obstacle to hi Majelly's gracious purpole to comply with their gracious wither, the formation of fuch an adininistration as his Maje.ty, in concurrence with the unanimous refoluten of this Houte, feems to think requifiveka the present exigencies of the country, they fee themselves bound to remain firm in the with ex preffed to his Majefty in the late humble addiefy and do therefore find themfelves obliged