Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

were greater than they were en"titled to." If the House had adopted both the amendments (and the latter stood at least as fair for their approbation as the former) his Majesty would indeed have found no fmall difficulty how to act, But he said it would have been a matter of great pride to him, to find that the only fet of men to whom no objections could be made was that small party with whom he had the honour to be, in a more particular manner, connected. This very circumftance, however, was a fufficient and convincing proof how neceffary it was, for the fafety of the country, that parties fhould forget their antient animofities, and join in cordial endeavours to rescue it out of a ftate which led directly to anarchy and confufion.

Amongst the remarkable circumftances of this day's debate, it must not be omitted, that fome pointed allufions having been made to the fecret advisers of the crown, a gentleman on whom public fufpicion had long refted, thought proper to come forward and avow himself in that character. That he had been with his Majefty within the courfe of the past five weeks more than once was, he faid, undoubtedly true, but he could affure the House, that he had never gone, but when the King had fent for him. As a privy counsellor, he was bound to give advice to his fovereign when called upon; but he had never obtruded his advice, and had merely given an answer to fuch questions as his Majefty had put to him. On the other fide it was ftrongly contended, that though any privy Counsellor was bound, when called on, to give his advice to the King, yet

that it was contrary to the spirit of the conftitution, fubverfive of good government, and a juft ground of jealoufy and fufpicion, when fuch advice was given in fecret, and not in open council, and in concert with the responsible ministers of the crown.

The addrefs was ordered to be prefented by fuch members as were of his Majesty's privy council, and on Wednesday the comptroller of the household reported his Majefty's answer, "That it was his earneft defire to do every thing in "his power to comply with the "wishes of his faithful com"mons."

[ocr errors]

On the Monday March 31ft. following, Mr. Pitt acquainted the House, that he had that day refigned his office of chancellor of his Majesty's exchequer: and being asked, whether he underflood that any new arrangement was likely foon to take place? he faid, he knew of none; but that he concluded, from his Majesty's moft gracious meffage, that fuch a meafure would not unneceffarily be delayed,

This anfwer did not appear to give any fatisfaction to the Houfe; and efpecially as it now appeared that the care of the public money was left without any refponfible minifter whatever. Much difference of opinion prevailed as to the fteps it might be proper for the Houfe to take in fo alarming a conjuncture. The Earl of Surrey propofed, as the groundwork of their future proceedings, that they fhould come to the following refolution:"That a confiderable time having

[ocr errors]

now elapfed without an admi"nistration responsible for the con"duct of public affairs, the inter"pofition of this Houfe on the pre

fent

fent alarming crifis is become "neceffary."

Several objections were made to this propofition. It was faid to be worded in a manner much stronger than the occafion juftified; and that, to declare their interpofition neceffary in a cafe, acknowledged on all hands to belong constitutionally to the crown, was little fhort of declaring that the government of the country was at an end. It was further objected, that fuch a proceeding was not confonant to the practice and forms of the Houfe; and lastly, it was objected to, as implying, that for fome time past there had been no refponfible minifters, whereas every minifter was refponfible for every part of his conduct till the day he refigned.

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

This motion being withdrawn, the noble earl propofed the following: That an humble ad"drefs be prefented to his Majefty" "to exprefs the dutiful and grateful

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

that theft, with other impor"tant concerns, do feverally, and much more collectively, require "an efficient and refponfible ad"ministration, formed upon prin

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

if, through inattention or timidity, their privileges had been fhaken or encroached on, he called on them, as they tendered the existence of the conftitution, to re-establish them on the firmest foundation. The refolutions were as follow:

1. "That it is the opinion of this "Houfe, that all future loans fhould "be conducted in a manner which "may best conduce to the reduc"tion of the national debt; or "which may at least not obftru&t "fuch a reduction, but rather ma"nifeft the intention of govern"ment to proceed in due time to "fuch a measure.”.

"2. That it is the opinion of "this Houfe, that whenever it shall "be thought expedient, in negotiating a public loan, to deal with "individuals, and not on the foot "of an open fubfcription, the "whole fum to be raised fhall be "borrowed of, or taken from fuch "individuals, without referve of "any part for the difpofal of any "minifter."

The loan was defended on the fame ground as in the lower houfe; and the late minifters were charged with grofs and criminal neglect of duty in not making the loan, as foon as the preliminary articles were. figned, when the 3 per cent. ftock was up at 701.-The first refolution was objected to as unneceffary, and as obfcure, if not abfurd in the mode of expreffion; the fecond was oppofed as defigned to caft a re flection on the negotiators of the prefent loan.-They were both rejected without a divifion.

On the third of June, the Duke of Richmond called the attention of the lords to an object, which he conceived might materially affect the adminiftration of public juftice, VOL. XXVI.

[ocr errors]

namely, the cuftody of the great feal, and particularly the practice of committing it to the custody of judges, of which an inftance was at that time before them.

The motion was as follows, "That putting the feals in com"miffion durante bene placeto, and "appointing judges commiffioners, "with large falaries and perqui"fites, to be received by them during the existence of a com"miffion originating in, and fole"ly dependent on, the will and

[ocr errors]

66

pleasure of the crown, tended to "invalidate the act of the 13th Will. "III. for fecuring the indepen"dency of the judges."

After declaring, that he meant nothing perfonal to the present commiffioners, he entered at large into the nature of the independency of the judges. In order to secure this great object, two things, he faid, were abfolutely neceffary, first, that the tenure of their offices fhould be independent of the will of the crown; and fecondly, that their falaries fhould be afcertained. By the former their fears were effectually removed, and by the latter all temptation from hope could only be done away. The act of the 13th William III. he contended, was defigned to fecure both these objects; and confequently, that to give three judges, felected by favour, the great emoluments accruing to the holders of the great feal, in addition to their falaries as judges, was in direct oppofition to the fpirit of that act, placed them immediately within the influence of the crown, and confequently tended to diminish their independence.

But the mischief, he faid, had not stopped here: another inconvenience of the fame fort had arisen [M]

out

crown.

the former; and this idea prevailing, it was at length agreed to postpone it for three days longer. In the course of the debate, the negotiation that had broken off eight days before was again adverted to. After the fatisfactory anfwer given in a former debate, that no obftacle or impediment had arifen from any difagreement amongst the perfons with whom that negotiation was carried on, a report had been induftrionfly circalated, that it had been broken off on account of the harsh and unreasonable demands of that partyand that these demands went to the abfolute difpofition of all the private and domeftic fervants of the On the ground of this report, a refpectable country gentle man having called on Lord North to avow its truth or falfhood, his lordship folemnly protefted, that no fuch caufe either did or could have existed-That the noble duke and himself had never, even in converfation, defcended to the mention of any arrangements fo minute as to reach the offices alluded to. That he believed there was no fet of men in the country, who could be fo indecent and fo reprehenfible as to prefume to dictate fo harsh a measure. He did not fcruple, he faid, to declare that fo difgraceful an attempt would justly have called for the abhorrence and deteftation of that House; but that he was convinced his noble and honourable friends would be as much hurt, as he confeffed he was at that moment, to have infinuated that fuch a proof of unworthinefs to fill any office whatever themselves had been given by them.

Much invective was also thrown out during thefe debates against

the coalition; and the abfurdity of expecting that a stable and permanent administration could be formed by persons so oppofite in their principles and opinions, was infifted on with unceasing virulence. On the other hand, the present ftate of the country was adduced as a complete juftification of that meafure; and it was asked where, or from what defcription of men, without the coalition of fome parties or other, an efficient cabinet could be formed. It was asked, whether there were four perfons of any diftinguished note on the political ftage, who had not widely differed on great and important points. If the violence, with which their former oppofition to each other had, ́ perhaps fometimes, been even indecently carried on, was the principal objection brought against their prefent union, furely they deferved the more merit for confenting to forget thofe animofities, which long and violent contests muft naturally have excited.-To argue, that it was impoffible for men who differed in opinion upon certain points, to act together cordially for the public good, was to argue against experience. For it was asked, whether the parties in the prefent, coalition difagreed in their political opinions more than the prefent lord chancellor differed from his colleague in the cabinet, the Duke of Richmond-than the fecretary of state for the home and the fecretary for the foreign-department-than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and his able and learned friend the Lord Advocate for Scotland ?-If fuch an union was condemned as difhonourable, the difgrace would equally cover both parties; for that, to fay the

leaft,

« AnteriorContinuar »