would fatisfy the houfe of the impropriety of complying with the propofed motion. On the 30th Mr. Newn30th. ham rofe again, to make a few obfervations upon what had paffed on Friday preceding. He remarked, that much had been faid of the tenderness of the ground upon which he trod, and of the dangerous confequences that might arife from his perfeverance. He declared himfelf totally ignorant of the grounds of thofe apprehenfions, with which others were fo unaccountably filled. If there was danger in the measure, let those who gave occafion to it tremble at the confequences. He faw none; the prince faw none: and it was by his exprefs defire that he now gave notice he fhould purfue his defign. Highly honoured, as he conceived himself to be, by the prince's confidence upon this occafion, he was not to be intimidated; and he could affure the house, that neither was his royal highness to be deterred from his purpofe by the bafe and falfe rumours, which were spread abroad concerning him.

Mr. Fox, who had been abfent on the former debate, came down this day with immediate authority from the prince of Wales, to affure the house there was no part of his conduct that he was either afraid or unwilling to have inveftigated in the fullest manner. With regard to the private correfpondence alluded to, he wifhed it to be laid before the house, because he could take upon himself to alert, that it would prove the conduct of his royal highnets to have been in the highest degree amiable, and would prefent as uniform and perfem a picture of duty and obedience, as ever, in any inftance, had been

fhewn from a fon to his father, or from a fubject to his fovereign. With respect to the debt, which was the caufe of his prefent difficulties, the prince was willing, if the house fhould deem it neceffary, to give a fair and general account in writing of every part of it; and if any fufpicion fhould exift, that this or that general article might comprehend fums of money improperly applied, he would give a clear explanation of the particulars to his majesty, or to his minifters. Laftly, with respect to allufions made by one member, to fomething full of danger to the church and jtate, he withed he had fpoken more explicitly. If he alluded to a certain low and malicious rumour, which had been induftrioufly propagated without doors, he was authorized to declare it to be a falfehood. He had thought that a tale, fit only to impofe upon the loweft of the vulgar, could not have gained credit for a moment in that houfe, or with any one who poffefied the moft ordinary portion of common fenfe and reflection; but when it appeared that an invention fo grofs and malicious, a report of a fact, which was actually impoffible to have happened, had been circulated with fo much industry and fuccefs, as to have made an impreffion upon the minds of the menibers of that houfe, it both proved the uncommon pains taken by the enemies of the prince of Wales to depreciate his character and injure him in the opinion of his country, and ought to be a caution to the houfe, and to the nation at large, how they gave credit to any other Tcandalous and malignant reports that were circulated to his preju, dice. Mr. Fox concluded with adding, that he was further authorized

by

by his royal highnefs to declare, that he was ready, as a peer of parliament, to answer in the other houfe anythemoft pointed queftions, that could be put to him refpecting this report, or to afford his majefty or his minifters any other affurances or fatisfaction they might require.

Mr. Rolle replied, that he was not fingular in his fears for the church; other gentlemen had been equally alarmed, and he fhould be happy to find that their apprehenfions were groundlefs. The right honourable member had faid, that the fact alluded to was impoffible to have happened. They all knew, indeed, that there were certain laws and acts of parliament which forbade it, and made it null and void; but ftill it might have taken place, though not under the formal fanction of law; and upon that point he wifhed to be fatisfied. Mr. Fox obferved, that though what he had faid before was, he thought, fufficient to fatisfy every candid and liberal mind, he was willing, if poffible, to fatisfy the moft perverfe. When he denied the calumny in queftion, he meant to deny it, not merely with regard to the effect of certain exifting laws, but to deny it in toto, in point of fact as well as law. The fact not only never could have happened legally, but never did happen in any way whatfoever, and had from the beginning been a bafe and malicious falfhood. Mr. Rolle rofe again, and defired to know, whether what Mr. Fox had laft faid, was to be understood as spoken from direct authority. Mr. Fox replied, that he had direct authority.

It appears to have been expected, that upon this declaration Mr.

Rolle would have expreffed his full fatisfaction; and being called upon by a member fo to do, he said that nothing fhould induce him to act otherwife than to his own judgment fhould feem proper. An answer had certainly been given to his queftion, and the house would judge for themfelves of that anfwer. This conduct occafioned fome warm reflections from Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Grey, who faid, that the member, after having put a pointed queftion for the folution of doubts exifting in his own mind, and having received an immediate answer, was bound in honour and fairness either to declare that he was fatisfied, or to take fome means of putting the matter into fuch a ftate of inquiry as fhould fatisfy him. To remain filent, or to declare that the houfe might judge for itself, was neither manly nor candid: it tended to aggravate in a high degree the malicious falthood that had been propagated, by admitting a fuppofition, that the prince might authorize a falfe denial of the fact. Mr. Pitt defended Mr. Rolle with great warmth, and declared, that whathad been faid by the members who preceded him was the most direct attack upon the freedom of debate, and liberty of speech in that house, that he had ever heard fince he fat in parliament. Mr. Rolle ftated fhortly the part he had taken, declared that he had been induced fo to do by his affection for the prince; that he had not said he was unfatisfied; and that he left the whole to the judgment of the house.

The favourable impreffion, which this debate, the open and manly conduct of the prince, and the harfhnels with which he had been

treated

2

treated in his moft private and perfonal concerns, left upon the minds of men both within and without the doors of parliament, appears to have given the minifter a ferious apprehenfion, that upon the question itself he might be left ift May. in a minority-For the next day overtures were made to his royal highnefs to bring the business to a private accommodation. On Thurfday the 3d of May Mr. Pitt had an audience at Carleton-house, and the faime night the prince was informed by his majefty's command, in general terms, that if the motion intended to be made the next day in the house of commons fhould be withdrawn, every thing might be fettled to his royal highnefs's fatif faction. Accordingly on 4th May the 4th, Mr. Newnham being in his place in the houfe, in which upwards of 400 members were affembled, rofe and faid, he felt the highest fatisfaction in being able to inform the house that his intended motion was no longer neceffary. Several members joined in expreffing in the warmest terms the great fatisfaction this information gave them.

In confequence of the accommo-. dation abovementioned, the accounts of his royal highnels were fubmitted to the infpection of commiffioners named by the king, and on the 21ft of May the following meffage from his majefty was delivered to both houfes of parlia

ment :

"It is with the greatest concern "his majefty acquaints the house "of commons, that from the ac"counts which have been laid be"fore his majefty by the prince of "Wales, it appears that the prince VOL. XXIX.

"has incurred a debt to a large "amount, which, if left to be ditcharged out of his annual in"come, would render it impoffible for him to fupport an eftablifhment fuited to his rank and "station.

"Painful as it is at all times to his majetty to propofe an addi "tion to the heavy expences necel"farily born by his people, his "majefty is induced, from his pa "ternal affection to the prince of "Wales, to recur to the liberality "and attachment of his faithful "commons for their afliftance on "an occafion fo interefting to his

majefty's feelings, and to the "eafe and honour of fo diftinguifh"ed a branch of his royal family.

With a view to this object, and "from any anxious defire to remove any poffible doubt of the fuffi

ciency of the prince's income to "fupport amply the dignity of his "fituation; his majefty has direct "ed a fum of 10 dool. per and. to be paid out of his civil lift. in addition to the allowance which his majetty has hitherto given "him; and his majesty has the fa "tisfaction to inform the houfe, "that the prince of Wales has

given his majefty the fullest affu"rance of his determination to "confine his future expences with

in the income, and has alfo "fettled a plan for arranging those

expences in the feveral depart"ments, and for fixing an order "for payment under fuch regulalations as his majefty trufts will effectually