objected to the motion, as it would fix a crime upon themfelves, to affure his Majefty that by an abuse of power, they had been the caufe of all the prevailing difcontents, and would be joining in a prayer for their own diffolution. The majority upon this fide purfued another method of argument; they allowed the difcontents, but charged them and the petitions, to the gentlemen in the oppofition, through whofe influence the people were perfuaded to imagine the one and fubfcribe the other.

And it was boldly affirmed that the only cause of both, was the hatred of their leaders to thofe in administration. It was infifted that the majority of gentlemen of large fortunes, and the magiftrates throughout the nation, together with the clergy in feveral counties, had not joined in the petitions, and that a majority of counties had not petitioned at all: that the inferior clafs of freeholders were not capable of understanding what they fubfcribed; that the farmers and manufacturers throughout the nation could neither know nor take any intereft in the prefent difputes, provided they had not been ftirred up by factious and feditious perfons, who were hunting after grievances, and continually fabricating petitions.-That by men of that character, meetings had been advertised, where the people were harangued with inflammatory fpeeches, and writings published and scattered through the kingdom, in which government had been reproached and vilified, the parliament abused, and the minds of the people inflamed. All this was done, it was alledged, to distress government; but it was added, that although the majority of fuch freeholders had figned the petitions without any influence or folicita. tion, they were only to be confidered as the acts of a rabble, and of an ignorant multitude, incapable of

judging.

judging. This kind of stile, as it was in its own nature opprobrious, fo it was alfo not true in fact, because those whom the court party called a rabble, béhaved with as much wisdom and difcretion, as even the best of the friends of the miniftry. It is a fort of lunacy which often prevails among felfifh politicians, to imagine that the people in the lower walks of life are deftitute of all penetration and difcernment; and that they are not qualified to judge concerning their own affairs. Nothing but mere ignorance of their characters, or a wilful intention to mifreprefent them, could difpofe men of fenfe and understanding to judge in fuch a manner. Among thofe whom vain and high minded courtiers denominate the rabble, and the fcum of the earth, are to be found as much common fenfe, and prudence, as among thofe of the highest ranks in the nation, if take them in equal proportion. By taking a furvey of the hiftory of bankruptcies, failures, and delinquencies, it will appear that there is a good proportion of these to be found among those who are not accounted the fcum of the nation. abuse which many in government at this time received from the people, proceeded from leffons they had learned from courtiers themselves, whofe abfurd and ridiculous ftile the vulgar turned against them, and paid back with confiderable intereft.

The

The charge which thofe in administration brought against the minority, or thofe in oppofition, namely that they had been active in promoting the petitions, was openly acknowledged and defended by them. They faid they accounted themselves bound in duty to render an account of their conduct in parliament to their constituents, and alfo to give them their best advice, and opinion, when required, in any thing that related to their interefts, and to give them the most

early

earlynotice of all meafures that tended to fubvert their rights, or were dangerous to the conftitution. The charges of meeting, and writing, and speaking, which had been brought against them, were ridiculous, and it was asked by what other methods people could communicate their fentiments. It was alfo obferved that it had been infinuated that our grievances were imaginary, because the peasants or manufacturers in Devonshire and Yorkshire would not immediately feel them, nor perhaps discover them till they felt them. But it was urged that though those who were bufily employed, might not find time to confider thefe matters immediately, till they began to feel their effects, yet this was no reafon why thofe who faw their diftant approach, fhould keep filent, and not warn them. Those who perceive the fubverfion of liberty in the cause thereof, may be few, which is generally the cafe; but this will not prove that there are never approaches to oppreffion, or remote causes of the fubverfion of freedom. If the few who perceive effects in their caufes can open the eyes of others, they do no more than what is their duty, and perform a piece of real fervice to the community.

It was added on this fide of the queftion, that though many gentlemen of large fortunes, and the clergy, had not figned the petitions, yet a great number had done it, and these of the most independent rank and character; and of those who had refufed to fign many of them were under a particular influence. That the justices of the peace were officers of the crown, and that no body of men were under greater influence than the clergy, yet that fome of these had even figned the petitions. It was afked likewife if the generality of the freeholders were of no fignification? if their opinion was of no weight? and it was

afferted

afferted that they were that refpectable body of men who were alone fuperior to all threatenings, fear, and influence. It was further urged, that the petitioning counties, cities, and towns were in refpect to opulence and number of inhabitants, far fuperior to thofe that had not petitioned; and that they contributed more to the land tax, which was now a teft of freehold property in this country, than the reft of the united kingdom. Thefe, with fome other fimilar arguments were used on this occafion on the fide of the oppofition.

Soon after the meeting of the parliament, a long train of refignations took place. Lord Camden refigned the feals: the Marquis of Granby, all his places except the regiment of Blues; the Duke of Beaufort his place of Mafter of the Horfe to the Queen; the Duke of Manchefter and Earl of Coventry of Lords of the Bedchamber; the Earl of Huntington his place of groom of the ftable, and Mr James Grenville his office of one of the Vice-treafurers of Ireland, Mr Dunning, the Solicitor-general, alfo refigned that employment. The whole of adminiftration feemed in a fhattered condition, and fuch convulfions prevailed, as ftruck a panic in the body politic; the court was, however, refolved to purfue the plan it had fet out upon, and was determined to govern by men who had no popular views or connections, and to maintain its ground, notwithstanding fo many of its principal managers had deferted its caufe. There are certain periods of fatality in the hiftory of nations, when men employed in the management of public affairs proceed upon the most abfurd principles, contrary to all reafon, and conviction, and ruth headlong over the precipice of their own defpotifm into the gulf of anihilation. What prudence and moderation might have Dd preferved

preferved for ages, they frequently destroy in one day, and by the rapidity of the moft jarring and difcordant measures, grind to pieces thofe fprings and wheels of government, which, by the courfe of regular motion would have endured as long as time. The English constitution is a contrivance of wisdom, formed to last forever, when pursued upon its own principles; when the several balances are kept in equilibrio, and every power acts in its own fphere; but if any of its powers are permitted to encroach upon the fphere of another, the frame will foon fall to pieces, and become a perfect ruin. This was the cafe before the revolution, when the executive power overbalanced the legislative, and reduced the community to a state of nature. In the time of the long parliament, one part of the legiflature overbalanced the other, and overturned the conftitution, and introduced anarchy. All this fhews that the greatest care should be obferved by thofe emplayed in public matters, to preferve an equilibruim in all parts of the conftitution. But this can never be done, when the crown has it in its power to corrupt the legislature. Riches committed into the hands of the fovereign to oil the wheels of government, will foon make a prime minifter, unless he is both wife and virtuous, like the fon of Phoebus, drive fo furiously till he fet the nation in a flame. Anarchy is an evil and dangerous thing, but it is not equally fo bad as tyranny. The jarring parts of a broken conftitution, that through popular convulfions, are thrown into confu fion, may, by wifdom, be arranged and put into order, and reared up like a new creation; but when there is no power but one exifting, into which all the reft are abforbed, it will be next to impoffible to reftore the fabric.

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