HISTORY

HIS

OF THE

PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES

O F THE

HOUSE of COMMONS
In the THIRD SESSION of the
Fifteenth Parliament of Great-Britain,
Appointed to be held at WESTMINSTER.

O

N the 5th day of December, 1782, the King opened the third feffion of the fifteenth Parliament, with a moft gracious fpeech from the throne. which our readers will find in the Lord's Debates. As foon as the Speaker had returned, and the customary forms were gone through of reading a bill for the first time, he informed the House, that he had procured a copy of his Majefty's speech, which he begged leave to read. Having done this,

Mr. Yorke rofe, to offer fome words as a return of thanks Mr. Philip to his Majefty for his gracious fpeech from the throne. He Yorke. began with comparing the ftate of this country at the end of the last year with our present fituation and profpects; and trufted he should not be deemed too fanguine, if he felt himself elated at the contraft. At the opening of the last feffion of Parliament, his Majefty anounced from the throne, the unfortunate iffue of the campaign in Virginia, which ended in the furrender of the fecond British army that had piled their arms on the continent of America. One confolation was however to be derived from that great and unfortunate check, that it brought home to every man's feelings, a fatal conviction of the impractibility of continuing offenfive war in America; and as if the continuance of that unfortunate war had been a clog upon every other operation, its abandonmeut was fucceeded by the moft brilliant fuccefs against the fleet of France, in the Weft Indies. The importance of that victory has been acknowledged by the thanks of Parliament, and by the general approbation of the country; it has been felt in the fecurity of Jamaica, in the diminution of the French VOL. IX.

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navy, and lastly it has proved to thofe who before doubted of it, that the zeal, the difcipline, and the intrepidity of the British feaman would rife fuperior to every difficulty, if once a fair opportunity were given of bringing the enemies of this country to a general engagement.

His Majefty informs the Houfe, that he has taken fuch measures as were moft likely to promote a cordial reconciliation with America, and ftates the ufe that has been made of the powers with which he was vefted by an act of the laft feffion; that every dispatch was used to carry into effect the refolution of the Houfe of Commons, reftraining offenfive operations in America. That vote was fucceeded by another refolution, declaring that minifter an enemy to his country, who fhould advife his Majefty to deviate from the fenfe of the House. Nothing then remained to be done but to obtain peace; not by making war, for that was prohibited, but by making conceffions; and no conceffion was likely to be deemed fufficient, but the opening of a treaty with America, upon the footing of a free and independent ftate. But at the time that his Majefty, for the fake of peace, and for the fake of relieving this country from the heavy burthens under which it labours, has made fo great a difmemberment of the British empire, he confoles himself with a well-grounded hope, that other motives than thofe of dependency, may tend to connect the two countries in a bond of permanent union. It is to be hoped, that a people fpeaking the fame language, educated in the fame religion, of the fame habits, and of the fame manners. may prefer a commercial connection with this country; and that Great Britain may ftill enjoy a larger fhare of the American trade than any other nation in Europe, upon fair and liberal principles of commerce.

With refpect to that part of the fpeech which alludes to the relief of Gibraltar, there is no one who will refufe to join in every praise that can be bestowed on the noble and gallant Commander who had tlie conduct of that important operation; who, in the face of a fuperior fleet, atchieved the relief of a beficged garrifon; which had already from its own ftrength, and the refources it before poffeffed, effectually repelled the united efforts of two formidable powers, and deftroyed the fanguine hopes of the Spanish nation. Nor has the fuperiority of the British name been more confpicuous in any inftance, than in thofe extraordinary efforts of courage, in the caufe of humanity; the intrepidity exerted in the fuccour of a diftreffed and vanquished enemy, deferve the gratitude of

every one who has the honour of his country at heart. In this fituation a treaty has been opened with the belligerent powers, and his Majefty affures us, that fo confiderable a progrefs has been made, that he hopes in a fhort time, to be enabled to inform his Parliament, that it has ended in terms of pacification. Such, undoubtedly is the expectation of his Majefty but if, contrary to appearances, the defire that has been fhewn for peace, hould not meet with the return from our enemies that may reafonably be expected; if, inftead of inclining them to terms of pacification, the moderation of Great Britain fhould only revive the ambitious defigns of our enemies, his Majefty will then feel himself under the neceffity of calling upon the public, for farther fupplies, as the only defence against that formidable combination which will appear to point its whole force at the very exiftence of this country.

The warmest and most affectionate recommendations of his Majefty have not been wanting, to enforce the neceffity of that confideration, important above all others; the leffening of the national expences by the strictest oeconomy in every department. An attention to this alone, must be the fource of future wealth and future ftrength; and the progress that has been already made will be to little purpose if Parliament lofe fight of the object. Mr. Yorke obferved, that he was in the hearing of an honourable gentleman, [Mr. Gilbert,] who had great merit for the pains and attention that he had beftowed during the courfe of the fummer, upon the inveftigation of the different employments of the King's household. Many complaints have been uttered of the hardship done to individuals, in depriving of small places perfons who have no other means of fubfiftence, and who having enjoyed them for a feries of years, have been used to confider them as their life-rents, as their eftates on which they could depend. He trufted therefore, that whenever the fubject came under the confideration of Parliament, or of his Majefty's Minifters for the purpose of being laid before the Houfe, if there appeared cafes of peculiar hardship, that they would fuffer the places to remain during the lives of the prefent poffeffors, especially where the places themselves were inconfiderable, and the poffeffors advanced in years. His Majefty affures the House, that in confequence of the regulations in the establishment, bis expence fhall not in future exceed his income. On that ground, the House will conceive it highly proper to discharge the civil-lift debt, and to comply with his Majefty's gracious wifh, in repaying the public, from the anuual favings that

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Mr. Banks.

are to be made by the reforms. Of the many important objects recommended to the confideration of Parliament, in his Majefty's fpeech, the fcarcity of corn is a circumftance which calls for their ferious and immediate attention. The regulation of internal police is an object to which the early attention of the Legiflature fhould be directed. For, as the power and riches of a great ftate, depend upon its trade and public revenue, thefe depend upon the morals of the people, and upon that induftry which is the beft means of reformation and its beft fecurity. It is not enough that Government neither invades property nor forces confcience, because too many in the mafs of mankind are to be found without either; and the indigent will always be ready to difturb, and the profligate to betray. In a political view, therefore, morality is only another name for public order; and that compaffion, public or private, which tends to promote industry, tends to promote the health, the order, and the morals of the people.

With refpect to Ireland, his Majefty trufts that the I beral measures adopted towards that country will infure a continuance of that harmony between the two countries which is fo effential to the interefts of both.

In alluding to a very important topic, which his Majefty recommended to the confideration of Parliament, viz. the Eaft-India affairs, Mr. Yorke conjured the Houfe, whenever they proceeded upon that bufinefs, to enter upon it with temper, diligence, and perfeverance; and that gentlemen would not fuppofe, that because they had not given themselves the trouble of reading the reports of the two committees, they were incompetent to decide upon any question that related to the Eaft-Indies; if that were the cafe, a very important part of the business of the feffion would be done in very thin houses,

After apologifing for having taken up the time of the Houfe, and for undertaking an office for which fo many others were infinitely better qualified, he concluded by moving for an addrefs of thanks to the King, and his motion, as ufual, was almoft an echo to the fpeech.

Mr Bankes rofe to fecond the motion for the addrefs. At the end of the laft feffion of Parliament he faid, the question of the independence of America, ftood in the way of a peace, but that obftacle was removed and done away. His Majefty had declared from the throne, that offers of independence had been made to America. That a peace was much wished for, he believed, no one would deny. He therefore, rejoiced most exceedingly, that his Majefty's Minifters had not only made a confiderable progrefs towards it, but had advifed his Ma

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