XVIL 1777. BOOK sum, as the duchess of Marlborough informs us, "saving money; for, though very charitable, she was never expensive, made no foolish buildings, nor bought one jewel in the whole course of her reign."-Such nevertheless was the unlimited complaisance of parliament, that the demands of the minister were granted almost without the formality of a division*. The opposition in the house of lords was equally unavailing. The bill was, however, accompanied with a strong protest; but the most remarkable circumstance attending it was the speech made by the speaker of the house of commons to his Majesty, on presenting it a few days afterwards for the royal assent. "In a time, SIRE," said he, "of public distress, full of difficulty and danger, their constituents laboring under burdens almost too heavy to be borne, your faithful commons, postponing all other business, have not only granted to your majesty a large present supply, but also a very great additional revenue, great beyond example, great When we see, says a humorous writer, the print of GARAGANTUA, that has a mouth as large as an oven, and swallows at one meal twelve hundred pounds of bread, twenty oxen, a hundred sheep, six hundred fowls, fifteen hundred hares, two thousand quails, a thousand barrels of wine, six thousand peaches, &c. &c. &c. who does not say: THAT is the mouth of a KING?" XVII. beyond your majesty's highest expence; but all BOOK this, SIRE, they have done in the well-grounded confidence, that you will apply wisely what they 1777. have granted liberally." The countenance of the king plainly indicated how little acceptable was this unexpected liberty. On the return of the speaker and the attendant members, the thanks of the house were nevertheless immediately voted him; yet not without exciting the secret and acrimonious resentment of the king's friends, or prerogative party; one of whom, Mr. Rigby, took occasion in a subsequent debate to arraign the conduct of the speaker with unusual vehemence, as conveying little less than an insult on the king, and as equally misrepresenting the sense of parliament and the state of the nation. The sentiments delivered at the bar of the other house, he said, were not those of the house of commons; he for one totally disclaimed them; and he had no doubt but the majority of the house thought with him. The speaker appealed to the vote of thanks which had been passed, as a proof that he had not been guilty of the misrepresentation imputed to him: and the minister, uneasy at the altercation, intimated his wish that the subject might not be farther discussed. But Mr. Fox, immediately rising, declared, "that a serious and direct charge having been brought, the question was now at issue. Either the speaker AVIL BOOK had misrepresented the sense of the house, or he had not. He should therefore, in order to 1777. bring this question to a proper and final decision, move, That the speaker of the house, in his speech to his majesty at the bar of the house of peers, did express with just and proper energy the sentiments of this house." The speaker himself declared, "that he would sit no longer in that chair than he was supported in the free exercise of his duty. He had discharged what he conceived to be his duty, intending only to express the sense of the house; and from the vote of approbation with which he had been honored, he had reason to believe he was not chargeable with any misrepresentation." The ministers now found themselves involved in a most unpleasant dilemma, and in pressing terms recommended the withdrawment of the motion. This being positively refused, Mr. Rigby moved for the house to adjourn. But the house appearing evidently sensible of the degradation which its dignity must sustain from any affront offered to the chair, he at length thought fit in some degree to concede; and professed, "that he meant no reflection upon the character of the speaker, but that what he had said was the mere expression of his private opinion, and the result of that freedom of speech which was the right and privilege of every member of that house, without respect of XVII. persons; and that, if what he had advanced was BOOK not agreeable to the sense of that house, he would readily withdraw his motion of adjourn- 1777. ment:" which being done, Mr. Fox's motion was unanimously carried; and, to complete the triumph, the thanks of the house to the speaker for his conduct in this affair were also moved, and agreed to without opposition. The session being now near its close, lord Chatham, unwilling that it should pass over without some public testimony of his unutterable abhorrence of the war which now distracted and convulsed the empire, and of the principles and conduct of those men whose weak and wicked counsels had involved the nation in its present calamities, attended the house of peers on the 30th of May, wrapped in flannels, and bearing a crutch in each hand. At the risk of his health, and perhaps of his life, this great statesman presented himself thus oppressed with infirmities, for the purpose of moving their lordships, who had been previously summoned, "That an humble address be presented to his majesty, most humbly to advise his majesty to take the most speedy and effectual measures for putting a stop to the present unnatural war against the colonies, upon the only just and solid foundation, namely, the removal of accumulated grievances." His lordship said, that he had at different times. BOOK made different propositions, adapted to the cirXVII. cumstances in which they were offered. The 1777. plan contained in the former bill was at this time he confessed impracticable. "The pre sent motion will open the way for treaty. It will be the harbinger of peace, and will convince the Americans, that parliament is sincerely disposed to reconciliation. We have tried for unconditional submission-let us now try what can be gained by unconditional redress. The door of mercy has been hitherto shut against them you have ransacked every corner of Germany for boors and ruffians to invade and ravage their country; for to conquer it, my lords, is impossible--you CANNOT do it. I may as well pretend to drive them before me with THIS CRUTCH. I am experienced in spring hopes and vernal promises, but at last will come your equinoctial disappointment. But were it practicable by a long continued course of success to conquer America, the holding it in subjection. afterwards will be utterly impossible. No benefit can be derived from that country to this, but by the good-will and pure affection of the inhabitants: this is not to be gained by force of arms; their affection is only to be recovered by reconciliation and justice. If ministers are founded in saying, that no engagements are entered into by America with France, there is yet |