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bill of rights; that it would establish a precedent of a moft alarming and dangerous tendency, as it recognized a right in the crown to introduce foreigners into Britain, and to raise armies without the confent of parliament; that it was ftill more alarming, and required the more immediate reprobation, from its bei ing wanton and unneceflary in point of policy, and from its being so strenuously defended by the ministers, both of which offered too much room for apprehenhon, that its avowed purposes covered others of a very different nature. The miniftry indicated the measures upon the plea of neceffity, and the ground. of precedent, namely, that of the Dutch troops being brought into England in the year 1745. It was also infisted upon as thoroughly legal and conftitutional, and the crown lawyers endeavoured to reftrain the construction of the bill of rights, by fhewing that its operation extended no farther than this island, The minister was now pushed hard, both by fome of his friends and those who had been uniformly in the op. pofition, to fhew his real intention in propofing fuch a claufe in the addrefs to the King, as hinted that they confidered it as a favour to have Hanoverian troops fent to Gibraltar, and wanted him to give affurance, that if the addrefs was fuffered to pafs in that form, that he would on fome future day to be appointed, bring the legality of the measure under the confideration of the Houfe. The minister was however abfolutely inflexible upon that point. He confidered this peevishness of his party as deferving Father reprehenfion than indulgence. They could obtain no direct anfwer from him; and at length, when he could no longer fhift an answer, he faid, with an apparent indifference, which he fuppofed would intimidate the deferters, that another time

Would

would afford a fitter opportunity of difcuffing the fubject than the prefent, Many of the country gentle. men confidered this fteadiness of the minifter as exceedingly ill-timed; but he had as much intereft and addrefs, as to let matters right for the prefents and got the threatened form put over.

One particular circumftance which attended thefe debates, was the defection of General Conway from administration, who after expreffing his utmost detestation of that minifterial principle, that perfons hold, ing places must implicitly fupport government in all cafes whatfoever, and however contrary to their principles; he then condemned in the most decifive terms the American war, which he declared to be cruel, unpatural, and unneceffary; calling it in plain terms, the butchery of his fellow-fubjects, and to which his confcience forbad him to give affent. He condemned every idea of conquering the colonists, upon all the rules of justice, expedience, and practicability. He fpoke in the most unreferved terms against the right of taxation, and wished to fee the declaratory law repraled, though it had been passed under his own aufpices, when in administration; and though on abstract legal principles he thought it right, and at the time of paffing proper and neceffary, rather than it should be employed to colour defigns the moft oppofite to the intentions publicly declared of thofe who fupported it in parliament, and particularly oppofite to those of his own at the time of his moving it. He called upon. the minifter to give fome information concerning the ftate of affairs in merica, that they might know with certainty upon what ground they ftood, and were likely hereafter to ftand, before they paffed a bloody addrefs which would be a ftanding record against them, and which, notwithftanfting the profufion

A

of

of fophiftical arguments, that were now used to be palmed upon them, by endeavouring to explain away its fubftance, and to reprefent it only as froth and compliment, would not only be found a curb upon, but muft in a great degree influence their conduct throughout the feffion, notwithstanding any information they might have to the contrary. Some of the coun try gentlemen likewife faid, that they had gone with the minister in the preceding feffion, upon the fuppofition, that he had given them authentic information with regard to America, but now finding by the event that they had been impos'd upon, and totally deceived, it became abfolutely neceffary to have a full and clear state of affairs laid before them, prior to their entering upon any business upon the subject.

This matter preffed very hard upon administration, and yexed them exceedingly. The accounts from America were at this time unfavourable; and it was doubtful whether we had any thing left there. The minifter had influence enough to wave off any particu lar enquiry concerning information that was in his poffeffion, but there was as much already gone abroad and published from other fources, as rendered it difficult to account for the failure of fuccefs in many infances, and to guard against the cenfure which of courfe attended it. Indirect acknowledgments were made, that matters had not been carried on as could have been wished, but where the error lay they could not tell but that a great force was now to be sent out, which would enfure fuccefs, and matters would take a new turn, Thus did the miniftry promife one time after another, without having either any formed plan or defign that had the fmalleft probability in them. The Duke of Grafton at this time deferted the ministry, which alarmed them greatly;-he gave for a

reafon

reafon that they had mifled him by false information, and had never given a true account of the ftate of American affairs: that they had never given a true account of the facts with regard to the difpofition of the colonists, and that he had always been made to believe that matters would never come to an extremity of that nature which had happened, but that an appearance of coercion was all that was requifite to eftablish a reconciliation, and that the ftronger government appeared, and the better it was fupported, the fooner all difputes would be adjusted. He decla red, that nothing lefs than a repeal of all the Ame rican laws which had been paffed fince the year 1763, could now reftore peace and happinefs, or prevent the most deftructive and fatal confequences confequences which could not even be thought of without feeling the utmost degree of grief and horror. In the Houfe of Lords it was fairly proved, upon the Duke of Manchester's motion concerning the Hanoverian troops, that it was inconfiftent with the bill of rights to bring in foreign troops, without an act of parlia ment, into any part of the British dominions; and that the doing thereof was diffolving the conftitution, and fetting afide the laws of the land, whereby the crown was made fuperior to all law, and the liberties of the fubject totally overturned. The debates upon this fubject on this occafion were warm, and all the arguments in favour of arbitrary power, and those against it, were canvaffed again and again. Some lawyers maintained doctrines in defence of the measures totally oppofite to the whole British conftitution, for which they were feverely reproved.

After many debates to no purpofe, the estimates for carrying on the war were laid before parliament, and paffed by a large majority. After this, fome

changes

changes happened in adminiftration. The Duke of Grafton refigned the privy feal, and was fucceeded by the Earl of Dartmouth, who was fucceeded by Lord George Germaine. The Earl of Rochford hav ing retired from bufinefs, was fucceeded by Lord Weymouth, who had continued out of employment fince his refignation on the affair of Faulkland's Ifland. Several other changes happened about this time, according as the humours of the court chanced to operate.

The petition of the congrefs, which had been delivered to his Majesty by Mr Penn, became now the fubject of a warm debate. A copy of this petition was brought before the Lords, among feveral other papers, when a noble Duke in oppofition obferved, that he faw Mr Penn below the bar, and moved that he might be examined, in order to establish the authent city of the petition, before they entered into any debates upon its contents, thereby to obviate the doubts which might arife upon that head, and be a mean of interrupting their proceedings. This motion alarm ed the miniftry exceedingly. They eafily perceived that the motion was not merely intended to authenti cate the petition, but that it extended to laying before the Houfe all the information concerning Ameri ca, which they could draw from a perfon fo much mafter of the fubject as Mr Penn. They objected to the motion in point of order; on its informality; on its want of precedent, being contrary to the established mode of proceeding; that the bringing in of extraneous matter by surprise, and breaking in upon the moft ferious and important deliberations, by fuddenly calling their intention off to the examination of witneffes, and to new fubjects of difcuffion, would be deBrudive of the order and gravity which always diftin

guished

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