SPEECHES OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EDMUND BURKE, Sc. &c. ADDRESS ON THE KING'S SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE SESSION.' November 24. 1767. ́N December 1765, Mr. Burke, through the interest of Lord Verney, was returned one of the representatives in parliament for the borough of Wendover in Buckinghamshire, At the period of the prorogation of parliament in July 1767, the ministry was considered on the eve of dissolution. General Conway declared his resolution to resign, though he consented to continue in office till a successor was nominated. Lord Northington announced a similar determination, alleging his inability to attend public business, on account of ill health. In consequence of these intimations, the king wrote to Lord Chatham, informing him of his design to make some alterations in the ministry, and requiring his advice and assistance. Lord Chatham returned a verbal answer, excusing himself from interfering in any new arrangement, as his health was too much impaired for exertion. An offer was made from the Duke of Grafton to the Marquis of Rockingham, but without success. The ministry therefore retained their situations. About this time died very unexpectedly Mr. Charles Townshend the chancellor of the exchequer. This event renewed the difficulty of effecting a ministerial arrangement; the chancellorship of the exchequer was filled ad interim by Lord Mansfield. It was offered to Lord North, who at first declined, but was afterwards prevailed on to accept the office. but the first speech made by him in the House of Commons of which any report has been preserved, took place on the 24th of November 1767, on which day his majesty opened the session with the following Speech to both Houses : "My Lords and Gentlemen; "I have chosen to call you together at this season of the year, that my parliament might have full deliberations upon all such branches of the public service, as may require their immediate attention; without the necessity of continuing the session beyond the time most suitable to my people, for the election of a new parliament: and I doubt not but you will be careful, from the same considerations, to avoid in your proceedings all unnecessary delay. Mr. Thomas Townshend succeeded Lord North as paymaster, and Mr. Jenkinson was appointed a lord of the treasury; Lord Northington and General Conway resigning, Lord Gower was made president of the council, Lord Weymouth secretary of state, and Lord Sandwich joint post-master general. These promotions indicated an accommodation between the ministry and the Bedford party, and the cabinet was further strengthened by the appointment of Lord Hillsborough to the office of secretary of state for America. The ministry, thus modelled, was called the Duke of Grafton's administration; for although Lord Chatham still retained his place, he was incapable of transacting business; in consequence of which the privy seal was for a short time put in commission, though it was afterward restored to him. The Grafton administration is thus described by Mr. Burke. After paying many encomiums on Lord Chatham, he claims the freedom of history to speak of the administration he formed, and thus proceeds: "He made an administration so checkered and speckled; he put together a piece of joinery so crossly indented and whimsically dovetailed; a cabinet so variously inlaid; such a piece of diversified Mosaic; such a tesselated pavement without cement; here a bit of black stone, and there a bit of white; patriots and courtiers; king's friends and republicans; whigs and tories; treacherous friends and open enemies : that it was indeed a very curious shew; but utterly unsafe to touch, and unsure to stand on. The colleagues whom he had assorted at the same boards, stared at each other, and were obliged to ask, "Sir, your name? — Sir, you have the advantage of me;- Mr. Such-a-one- I beg a thousand pardons."-I venture to say, it did so happen, that persons had a single office divided between them who had never spoke to each other in their lives, until they found themselves, they knew not how, pigging together, heads and points, in the same truckle-bed." "Nothing in the present situation of affairs abroad gives me reason to apprehend, that you will be prevented, by any interruption of the public tranquillity, from fixing your whole attention upon such points as concern the internal welfare and prosperity of my people. "Among these objects of a domestic nature, none can demand a more speedy or more serious attention, than what regards the high price of corn, which neither the salutary laws passed in the last session of parliament, nor the produce of the late harvest, have yet been able so far to reduce, as to give sufficient relief to the distresses of the poorer sort of my people. Your late residence in your several counties must have enabled you to judge, whether any farther provisions can be made conducive to the attainment of so desirable an end. "Gentlemen of the House of Commons; "I will order the proper officers to lay before you the estimates for the service of the ensuing year. "The experience I have had of your constant readiness to grant me all such supplies as should be found necessary for the security, interest, and honour of the nation, (and I have no other to ask of you,) renders it unnecessary for me to add any exhortations upon this head: and I doubt not but the same public considerations will induce you to persevere with equal alacrity, in your endeavours to diminish the national debt: while, on my part, no care shall be wanting to contribute, as far as possible, to the attainment of that most essential object, by a very frugal application of such supplies as you shall grant. "My Lords and Gentlemen ; "The necessity of improving the present general tranquillity to the great purpose of maintaining the strength, the reputation, and the prosperity of this country, ought to be ever before your eyes. To render your deliberations for that purpose successful, endeavour to cultivate a spirit of harmony among yourselves. My concurrence in whatever will promote the happiness of my people you may always depend upon and in that light I shall ever be desirous of encouraging union among all those who wish well to their country." An Address in reply to the Speech from the throne was proposed by Lord Beauchamp, and supported by Mr. Conway, who concluded with a panegyric on the late Mr. Charles abilities, judg amented friend had submitted to parliawn the article of prothat great man had perform his promise: pian was lost with him: - his place, but impossior one equal to the exeught not, therefore, to be t-yet been able to devise ne poor, although a man of cations might have been fully and spoke nearly to the follow dion of this country at the con was such as gave us strong reason single moment of the interval between pan, and our winter meeting would be lost or misha right to expect that gentlemen who equal to advise about the government s during this period, have applied all ni exerted all their efforts, to discover y for the national distress. For my doubt, that, when we again met, the i have been ready to lay before us some yelet of the people, founded upon such informations as they alone are able to d with an accuracy proportioned to the bo consider of it: but if these were our these were the hopes conceived by the w grievously are we disappointed! After any months, instead of being told that Alar & trak or that measures are taken, or, at least, het mates are been diligently collected, upon which My home might be founded for preserving us from Cams we see that this provident ministry, these careful providers, are of opinion, they have sufficiently acquitted ! themselves of their duty, by advising His Majesty to recommend the matter once more to our consideration, and so endeavouring to relieve themselves from the burden and censure which must fall somewhere, by throwing it upon parliament. God knows in what manner they have been employed for these four months past! It appears too plainly they have done but little good-I hope they have not been busied in doing mischief; and though they have neglected every useful, every nccessary occupation, I hope their leisure has not been spent in spreading corruption through the people. Sir, I readily assent to the laborious panegyric which the honourable gentleman upon the floor has been pleased to make on a very able member of the administration, whom we have lately lost: no man had a higher opinion of his talents than I had; but as to his having conceived any In his speech on American Taxation, April 19. 1774, Mr. Burke gives the following character of Mr. Charles Townshend: "Charles Townshend was the delight and ornament of this House, and the charm of every private society which he honoured with his presence. Perhaps there never arose in this country, nor in any country, a man of a more pointed and finished wit; and (where his passions were not concerned) of a more refined, exquisite, and penetrating judgment. If he had not so great a stock as some have had who flourished formerly, of knowledge long treasured up, he knew better by far, than any man I ever was acquainted with, how to bring together, within a short time, all that was necessary to establish, to illustrate, and to decorate that side of the question he supported. He stated his matter skilfully and powerfully. He particularly excelled in a most luminous explanation, and display of his subject. His style of argument was neither trite and vulgar, nor subtle and abstruse. He hit the House between wind and water: and not being troubled with too anxious a zeal for any matter in question, he was never more tedious, or more earnest, than the pre-conceived opinions, and present temper of his hearers required; to whom he was always in perfect unison. He conformed exactly to the temper of the House; and he seemed to guide, because he was always sure to follow it. There are many young members in the House (such of late has been the rapid succession of public men) who never saw that prodigy Charles Townshend; nor of course knew what a ferment he was able to excite in every thing, by |