In all overturn the government. The means faid to have been provided for this end were fo inadequate, that it could hardly have entered into the minds of any perfon in the ufe of their reafon, either to have contrived fuch a scheme, or to have believed the existence of fuch a contrivance. The conclufion of this a mat ter demonftrated the folly and wickednefs of the a gents, and the diftrefs of government for fchemes to divert the minds of the people from brooding upon their blunders and mifmanagement. It never happens under wife governments that fuch inadequate means are propofed to answer fuch purposes. ftates they have been ranked among the follies and infirmities of the ftates, or ftatefmen who have purfucd them; and this feeble device to fcandalize the patriots, will stand posted among the follies of the British miniftry for this year, in all the records where it is mentioned. Thofe who were in the oppofition to the measures of the miniftry, held his Majefty's perfon as facred as his most intimate cabinet-friends, and in all things that belonged to his real honour would have ventured more than those who accufed them of difaffection. Thofe who are guilty of giving princes bad council, are never thofe that can fafely be trufted in the time of imminent danger. Since the days of Floddenfield, one honeft man like the Earl of Douglas, is worth all the nobles of a nation for the fafety and honour of a fovereign. The fpeech from the throne fully declared the refolution of the cabinet; and nothing but war and unconditional fubmiffion was propofed to the colonists. The various addreffes echoed the fame doctrine, and the majority in parliament confirmed whatfoever the miniftry propofed. The minority made a good defence, and oppofed with much fpirit the addrefs that was The was propofed to be made to the kings fpeech. fpeech was taken to pieces, and every part of it most feverely examined. The minifters were charged with having brought their fovereign into the moft difgraceful and unhappy fituation of any monarch now living. Their condut had already wrefted the fceptre of America out of the hands of their fovereign, and now they wanted to attempt impoffibilities, to recover what they had loft through wantonnefs and incapacity. The charge brought against the colonifts with refpect to their intention of independency, from the beginning of the controverfy, was refuted by arguments which the minifterialifts could not contradict. It was affirmed against them, and they could not refute it, that their accufing the colonists of this defign, was only to cover their own guilt and mismanagement; and that the Americans had not behaved. infidiously, but fairly and openly in all their tranfactions with government; that they had from the beginning told the miniftry openly, honefty, and boldly, without difguife or referve, and declared to all the world, that they would not fubmit to be taxed arbitrarily by any body of men whatsoever, where they were not reprefented. They did not whifper nor con. ceal their sentiments in this particular, but had from the beginning fpoken uniformly the fame language. They had plainly told what they would do, if preffed to the last extremity, and therefore the minftry were fully informed from the beginning with their whole defign. But the accufations now brought against them. were only mean patched coverings of the nakedness of base actions, which all men that were not loft to every feeling of human nature would be afhamed of. The miniftry could not at this time pretend that they had sbey gone blind-fold into thefe foolish and abfurd measures measures which they were bent in purfuing; for they had been warned every feffion of parliament what would be the iffue. Their measures feemed to have roceeded from wilfulness and obftinacy, rather than from ignorance and mistake: they were bent upon bringing the colonies to unconditional fubmiffion, with a view to render them fubfervient to arbitrary purposes of government, to ferve their own paffions and appetites for penfions and places. It appears fomewhat ftrange, that at this time, and ever fince, the miniftry have thrown the reproach of the ill fuccefs of the American war, upon the gentlemen of the oppofition, when there has never been any thing demanded in parliament for carrying it on, but what has granted according to their own defires and wishes. They were indeed forewarned by men who faw more clearly than they either did or would fee, what would be the iffue of fuch wild and impolitic measures, and were advised to defift from ruining the empire. This was all that the minority ever did, and this was all that they could charge them with in carrying on the American war, or interrupting its intended fuccefs. The ministry split upon a rock which has ruined them all along. They trufted to the information of their own penfioned governors, who having fallen out with the colonists, were careful to mifreprefent them, and to deceive their mafters, for the fake of their own emolument and advantage. Thefe hirelings of state were now fo foured by the opposition of the people to their measures and defigns, and had met with fuch difappointments, that their whole information to government was dictated by a fettled revenge. The The defign of bringing in foreign troops occafioned a long and fevere debate in parliament. This mea fure was cenfured both as illégal and impolitical. To bring in foreign force into the Briush dominions was confidered contrary to the law of the land, and expofing our own weakness; and, moreover, fhewed a defign in government, rather than not rule abfolutely over their own fubjects, to cringe to German flaves, to help them to fupport their tyranny. It was faid, that those who would not hear the reasonable requests of their own fubjects, were now turned fuppliants to petty states for aid to fupport their arbitrary meafures. There are times of general infatuation, when even thofe who difapprove of the public measures that tend to ruin them, gave them as much support as if they were conducted with the greatest wisdom, and were calculated to promote their true interests. Tho' the country gentlemen in parliament were called upon to mind their own interefts, and to oppofe thofe fteps of the miniftry which led to the ruin of the nation, yet they fill voted with the court, and divided in general with the minifter. They were afked, if they would for ever fuffer their eyes to be blinded, and not fuffer themfelves to fee the deflructive measures that were carrying on, without once heftating or reflecting upon the common ruin in which they were involving themselves and the whole nation? Would they still follow, without examination or enqui ty, thofe leaders that had deceived and milled them in every thing, until they had brought the nation into its prefent difaftrous fituation?Had they yet had time to confider the difficulties attending the fupport of 70,000 men on the other fide the Atlamic? Had they confidered, or made any calculation, how many thoufand thousand tons of fhipping would be neceffary for their conveyance and for their support, or what the expence might amount to of fupplying them from Smithfield market, with vegetables, and all other neceffaries from London and its neighbourhood. These were matters of ferious confideration. The land-tax was to be raised to four fhillings in the pound, and the most fanguine imagination could fcarcely hope that ever it would be again lowered, even fup. posing the most fortunate change of circumftances.--Many arguments were afed by the minority to fhew the prefent evils, and future bad tendency of carrying on the American war; but the ministry were so full of their own fcheme of fubjugating the colonists, that they would listen to no advice, however falutary. Thefe difputes proceeded from the King's fpeech, and they are so long and redious, that to give them at full length would be irksome to the reader. It is fufficient to obferve, that the debates were principally carried on for and against an addrefs to the King, on account of the speech from the throne. The amendment propofed by the minority was rejected by the majority, and the original question carried for the addrefs without a divifion. The next topic of debate, was concerning the fending of Hanoverian troops to Gibraltar. In this debate, the friends of the minifter were divided in their opinion; even those who had warmly fupported the American war oppofed this measure, and when the measure came to be debated, the minifter found many of thofe he thought were his friends joined with thofe in oppofition. It was infifted upon, in the most peremptory terms, that the measure was illegal and unconstitutional in the last degree; that it was repugnant and fubverfive of the principles of the |