1777.

CHAP. in lord John Cavendith's motion: Wilkes XXX. propofed, and the opinion was fanctioned by others, that the houfe fhould go into a committee, with inftructions to confider of the caufes of the debts due on account of the civil lift, and likewife what further provifion might be neceffary to fupport the fplendor and dignity of the crown.

IN propofing an aid to the crown, the minifter declared himfelf aware that he would be lefs engaged in reafoning, than in diminishing the force of arguments and affertions calculated to deprive him of popularity, which was to be proportionately gained by his opponents. He confeffed the tafk difagreeable, taking it in the moft favourable light; and when he laft came on a fimilar errand, he little thought it would have fallen to his lot again; for feveral of his predeceffors, much his fuperiors in abilities, had continued but a very short time in adminifiration but at length, faid his lordship, fuch is the ftability of government, that an adminiftration can even outlive eight years! During the laft four years, he faid, the expenditure had undergone a confiderable decreafe, to the amount of nearly a hundred thoufand pounds per annum. In the last year it had increafed, on account of numerous American refugees, driven from their country or property for their loyalty and attachment to the crown and parliament of Great Britain, and left deftitute of refource, or even of fuftenance: they had augmented the civil lift expences he believed to the amount of twenty-feven thousand pounds. The influence of the crown was not enlarged fince the king's acceffion, but government had been firengthened by the wifdom and rectitude

1777.

rectitude of his majefty's councils, and the CHAP. efteem and confidence of his fubjects. The XXX. obligations were mutual, and juftly merited; and if fuch an influence really exifted, it would not be employed in abridging the liberties of the fubjects, or in acts of oppreffion; but in fecuring and augmenting the profperity, virtues, and happinets of the people.

MR. ADAM, in a fpeech of confiderable ability, fhewed the meannefs, ignominy, and difgrace to which Charles II. had been obliged to defcend, from all which he might have been refcued if parliament would have relaxed their too rigid fyftem of parfimony. The accounts were ftated to be as perfect as could be furnished, and to afford every light neceffary for judging of the fubject: in former reigns fimilar requests had been granted without a requifition of accounts.

THE motion of lord John Cavendish was Supply rejected, and the committee refolved to grant granted. the required fum for difcharging arrears, and to add to the civil lift one hundred thoufand pounds per annum.

ON bringing up the report of the committee, 18th April. the debate was refumed with great animation; but no novelty in argument occurred, nor any remarkable circumftance, except that the houfe was thrown into a temporary confufion by the ribaldry of Sawbridge, who faid the deficiency might be accounted for, without having recourfe to the increafed price of the neceffaries of life. The civil lift had been employed in corrupting both houfes; it had been spent in private as well as public penfions; in fingle bribes, and temporary gratuities. The civil lift

XXX.

1777.

CHAP. had been drained by as many different means as want fuggefted, or corruption was capable of devifing or inventing. Although called to order, he refufed to retract or qualify his expreffions; but added, that fome of the very debt which the minifter applied to parliament to difcharge, was fquandered in hiring fpies and informers, to ruin and diftrefs innocent men; men in every light as loyal to the king, and as faithful to their country, as their perfecutors would perfuade the world they themselves were. Burke interpofed, and by a happy mixture of argument and irony, brought the houfe to a degree of forbearance which induced them to hear thefe abfurdities unmoved.'

21ft April.

Debate

in the lords.

THE houfe directed the amount of arrears to be paid out of the finking fund, and a bill was paffed comprifing all thefe objects.

THE king's meffage was difcuffed with no and proteft lefs warmth in the houfe of lords. The marquis of Rockingham recommended an amendment to the addrefs; which, being rejected, was entered on the journals as a proteft, and figned by fourteen peers.

7th May.

Sir Fletcher

the bill to

the king.

ON prefenting the bill for affent, the speaker Speech of of the houfe of commons obferved to the king, Norton, on that in a time of public diftrefs, full of diffi prefenting culty and danger, their conftituents labouring under burthens almoft too heavy to be borne, his faithful commons poftponed all other bufinefs, and, with as much difpatch as the nature of their proceedings would admit, had not only granted a large prefent fupply, but alfo a very great additional revenue; great beyond example; great beyond his majesty's

There was a divifion on the fecond refolution; the numbers 231 to 109.

higheft

66

XXX.

1777

higheft expence." "But all this, Sir, they CHAP. "have done, in a well grounded confidence, that you will apply wifely, what they have granted liberally; and feeling, what every good fubject muft feel, with the greatest "fatisfaction, that under the direction of your majefty's wisdom, the affluence and grandeur "of the fovereign will reflect dignity and "honour on his people."

FOR this fpeech the fpeaker received the He is thanks of the houfe of commons, and was de- thanked by fired to print it.

the house.

Debate on the fubject.

IN the courfe of the late debates, many allufions had been made to the state of the king's brothers, and an amendment was fuggefted by 18th April. Sir James Lowther, by which part of the fum granted in augmentation of the civil lift, would be applied to their ufe: this propofal was overruled as irregular, but after the act was paffed, he again brought it forward. The debate was 9th May. not interefting, as the motion was oppofed chiefly on the ground of its being indelicate. to interfere in the tranfactions of the royal family, and it was difpofed of by the previous question; but in the courfe of debate, Mr. Rigby alluded with pointed indignation to the obfervations of the fpeaker, who, he faid, had grofsly mifreprefented the fituation of the country, in a place, and in the prefence of thofe where nothing but truth fhould be heard. The fentiments attributed to the houfe of commons, were totally foreign from their thoughts; and, he trufted, that before the house rofe, it would be proved, whether they coincided with the chair or

Several members who took notes of this fpeech, wrote wants instead of expence.

152 to 45.

II 3

with

CHAP. with him, who utterly difclaimed the obfervations delivered by the fpeaker in their name.

XXX.

3777.

The fpeak

er's conduct more

SIR FLETCHER NORTON appealed to the houfe; the fpeech and vote of thanks were read, and Fox moved, that the fpeaker did exprefs, with juft and proper energy, the zeal of the houfe for the fupport of the honour and dignity of the crown, in circumftances of great public charge. In introducing the motion he obferved, that if it were negatived, the fpeaker could not retain the chair with reputation to himself, or be further ferviceable in his station, after being publicly deferted, bullied, and difgraced. Sir Fletcher Norton himself adopted this opinion; affuring the houfe that he meant to deliver nothing but their fentiments, in which he thought himfelf juftified by the time, the occafion, and the various concurrent circumftances which combined to ftamp his obfervations with peculiar propriety. Ccnceiving, therefore, that he difcharged his duty, and that the houfe had fubfequently fanctioned his conduct by their approbation, he could not, if the prefent motion was rejected, remain in a fituation where he could be no longer ferviceable.

ALTHOUGH the attorney-general fupported Mr. Rigby's opinion, the profecution of the decifively queftion, in the direction it muft neceffarily approved. take, was not defirable to the friends of ad

miniftration; a confiderable portion of dif cuffion was employed on the fuppofed affertion, that the fupply exceeded the king's wants; a phrafe which the fpeaker difclaimed; Mr. Rigby, in the courfe of debate, fpoke in more moderate terms, claiming a right to utter his own fentiments freely, but denying any intention to make perfonal reflections on the chair. He attempted a compromife by means of an adjourn