Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

infidious and political purpose, replied without hesitation, "that it was impoffible for him to ferve the king and country either with lord Bute or lord North; and that if any thing could prevent the confummation of public ruin, it could only be new counfels and new counsellors—a real change, from a fincere conviction of paft errors, and not a mere palliation, which muft prove fruitlefs." There are no doubt fituations of extraordinary difficulty and danger, which call for the united exertions of those who have been moft oppofite in fentiments and conduct: but the nation was not at this time difpofed to believe, that any peculiar danger to the country exifted under the administration of the earl of Shelburne, who, whether in or out of office, had uniformly fhewn himself a friend to liberty. The terms of the peace were generally deemed as good as there was any previous reafon, from the relative fituation of the belligerent powers, to expect; and the COALITION of perfons and principles radically hostile, and which no effort of art or length of time could affimilate, was univerfally branded as a grofs and palpable facrifice of every fentiment of honor, confiftency, and rectitude, on the altar of ambition, interest, and revenge.

One of the first measures of the new ministry was to expedite the paffing of a bill, before pending, "for the purpose of preventing any writs of error or appeal from the kingdom of Ireland from being received by any of his majefty's courts in Great Britain; and of renouncing in exprefs terms the legislative authority of the British parliament in relation to Ireland." This was a neceffary confequence of the general plan of Irish emancipation; for the mere repeal of the declaratory act did not, in the view of the common law, make any difference whatever in the relative fituation of the two countries.

. Soon after this, a bill was introduced by fir Henry Fletcher, chairman of the Eaft India company, "for fufpending the payments of the company now due to the

royal

royal exchequer, and for enabling them to borrow the fum of three hundred thoufand pounds, for their farther relief."

Lord John Cavendish declared this bill to be only a branch of a larger plan; and that it was brought forward feparately, in order to answer an exigency which did not admit of delay. His lordfhip viewed the territorial acquifitions of the company as a fruitful source of grievance." It would," he faid, "have been more for their advantage, had they confined themfelves to the character of merchants. As thefe acquifitions, however, had been made, they must be preferved, and it was his opinion that the relief neceffary to the company should be granted."

Lord Fitzwilliam, in the upper house, dwelt, on the almost defperate fituation of the East India company, and affirmed, "that, unless it paffed, their bankruptcy would be inevitable. The expenditure of their fettlements had far exceeded their revenue: bills had been drawn upon them which they were unable to answer without a temporary fupply, fo that the existence of the company depended upon the fuccefs of the bill;" which accordingly paffed both houses with little difficulty or oppofition.

In the month of April 1783, the chancellor of the exchequer brought forward his plan for raifing twelve millions by loan. The moft remarkable circumftance attending it was, that the money borrowed was funded at three per cent. at the extravagant rate of one hundred and fifty pounds ftock for every hundred pounds fterling; fo that an artificial capital of fix millions was created beyond and above the fum actually paid into the exchequer. This abfurd and pernicious mode of funding was expofed and reprobated with much ability, by Mr. Pitt in the lower houfe, and the earl of Shelburne in the upper, but with no effect. The former motion of Mr. Pitt for an enquiry into the ftate of the reprefentation being negatived, he now brought forward

forward, May 7, a specific plan for adding one hundred members to the counties, and abolishing a proportionable number of the burgage-tenure and other small and obnoxious boroughs. This plan, though fupported by Mr. Fox, was negatived by a great majority; the numbers on the divifion being 293 to 149. As there muft of courfe ever be a ftronger oppofition against any fpecific plan of reform in the firft inftance, than to a comprehenfive and general motion of enquiry only, the latter is evidently the moft politic as well as reasonable mode of introducing the question to the notice and difcuffion of the house; and had it been adopted by Mr. Pitt on this occafion, it could not have fo egregiously failed of fuccefs. The motion was oppofed in a very able speech by lord North, who with an happy allufive pleasantry declared," that while fome with LEAR demanded an hundred knights, and others with Goneril were fatisfied with fifty, he with Regan exclaimed, no, not ONE !" His lordship, in a graver and more argumentative ftrain, faid, "it was not true that the houfe of commons had not its full and proper weight in the fcale of government;-his political life was a proof that it had. It was parliament that had made him a minister. He came amongst them without connection. It was to them he was indebted for his rife, and they had pulled him down; he had been the creature of their opinion and of their power;-his political career was confequently a proof of their independence; the voice of the commons was fufficient to remove whatever was displeasing to the fentiments and wishes of the country; and in fuch a fituation to parade about a reformation was idle, unne ceffary, inexpedient, and dangerous." This reafoning might perhaps have had fome degree of weight, could it be loft to the public recollection, that the noble lord was originally advanced to the premiership by the fiat of the executive power, and was continued in office, during the first and laft years of his administration at leaft, by

the

the influence of the fame power, in daring contrariety to the clear, unanimous and decided fenfe of the nation, His lordship's compulfive refignation at the last, proved only that there are limits, beyond which even the complaifance of the representative body does not extend: and the infatuation of the minifters became at length so notorious, that parliament alarmed at their rashness, and astonished at their folly, happily and critically interpofed to fave the nation from deftruction.

A bill for regulating the trade of the African company being introduced towards the close of the feffion, with a clause prohibiting the officers of the company from exporting negroes, that humane, intelligent, and refpectable clafs of citizens known by the appellation of quakers, convened in their annual affembly in the metropolis, embraced this favorable occafion to petition the house of commons," that the claufe in queftion might be extended to all perfons whatsoever, profeffing themfelves deeply affected with the confideration of the rapine, oppreffion, and blood attending this traffic :-Under the countenance of the laws of this country, fay the petitioners, many thousands of these our fellow-creatures, entitled to the NATURAL RIGHTS OF MANKIND, are held as personal property in cruel bondage. Your petitioners regret, that a nation profeffing the chriftian faith should so far counteract the principles of humanity and juftice." This petition excited in a remarkable degree the attention of the houfe and of the public; and laid the foundation of the fubfequent noble and generous, though hitherto* unfuccefsful efforts, to effect a total abolition of this deteftable. and inhuman commerce-efforts which, however they may terminate, will, in the volume of the recording angel, "on leaves more durable than leaves of brafs," enroll the names of WILBERFORCE, of SMITH, of DOLBEN, and many others, in the illuftrious catalogue of the friends

A. D. 1794

and

and benefactors of mankind; and more particularly of that defpifed and unfortunate race of men born only to mifery, and to whofe wretched and moft compaffionable lot it has fallen" to plough the winter's wave, and reap defpair." Much bufinefs, comprehending details not fufficiently important to demand a place in general history, having been completed, the parliament was at length prorogued, July 16, by a fpeech, in which his majesty intimated his intention of calling them together at an early period, in order to refume the confideration of the affairs. of the Eaft Indies, which would demand their moft ferious and unintermitted attention.

In the course of the fummer, the king, as legally empowered by an act paffed for that purpose, ifsued an order in council, limiting the commerce between the continent of America and the British West India iflands to fhips British built. This was conformidable to the grand principle on which the act of navigation was originally founded; and though this restriction gave extreme offence to the inhabitants of the United States, they could not in reafon complain that they were precluded from enjoying the advantages of dependence and independence at one and the fame time. The definitive treaties with France, Spain and America, were at this period figned with no material alteration: alfo preliminaries of peace with the ftates general, by which all the conquests of England were reftored, except the town of Negapatnam on the coaft of Coromandel, which their high mightineffes found themfelves, however reluctantly, at length compelled to cede.

During this interval of political repofe in England, it will not be improper to cast a tranfient view at the general posture and relative fituation of the great continental powers.

One of the most interefting events which, fince our laft notice of foreign politics, had taken place in Europe, was

the

« ForrigeFortsæt »