gave rife; but the best apology both for the repeal and for the declaratory act is to be met with in his famous fpeech on American taxation in the year 1774. He there gives a full detail of the historical part of the business; mentions his first introduction to the marquis of ROCKINGHAM in a train of the most captivating modefty; and vindicates the conduct of his noble patron with equal ingenuity and ardor,

"In the year fixty-five," fays this admirable apologist, “ being in a very private station, far from any line of business, and not having the honour of a feat in this house, it was my fortune, by the intervention of a common friend, to become connected with a very noble perfon, and at the head of the treasury department. It was indeed in a fituation of little rank and no confequence, fuitable to the mediocrity of my talents and pretenfions---but a fituation near enough to enable me to fee, as well as others, what was going on; and I did fee in that noble perfon fuch found principles, fuch an enlargement of mind, fuch clear and fagacious fenfe, and fuch unfhaken fortitude, as have bound me, as well as others much better than me, by an inviolable attachment to him from that time for ward."

After these introductory remarks, the orator defcribes the fteps taken by the marquis to redress a grievance arifing from the former minister's commercial regulations in America, which, he fays, threatened total ruin to the Spanish trade; and then: adds, "On the conclufion of this bufinefs, the news of the troubles, on account of the ftamp-act, arrived in England. *** No fooner had the found of that mighty tempeft reached us,, than the whole of the then opposition, instead of feeling humbled by the unhappy iffue of their measures, feemed to be infi-nitely

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nitely elated, and cried out that the miniftry, from envy to the glory of their predeceffors, were prepared to repeal the ftampact."---Here Mr. BURKE charges the cenfurers of the repeal with fhifting their ground, and challenging the authors of it to fay, whether they had come to fuch a refolution till a confiderable time after the meeting of parliament? To this he answers, that they weighed the matter as its difficulty and importance required; that they confidered maturely among themfelves, and confulted all who could give them advice, or information; in confequence of which it was not determined till a 1 tue befor the meeting of parliament; but it was then determined, and the main lines of their own plan marked out before that meeting. Two queftions had arifen; the firft, whether the repeal fhould be total, or only partial, taking out every thing burthenfome and productive, and referving only an empty acknowledgement, fuch as a ftamp on cards and dice? The other question was, on what principle the act fhould be repealed? On this head alfo, two principles were flarted; one, that the legislative rights of this country, with regard to America, were not entire, but had certain reftrictions and limitations the other, that taxes of this kind were contrary to the fundamental principles of commerce on which the colonies were founded; and contrary to every idea of political equity, by which equity we were bound as much as poffible to extend the fpirit and benefit of the British conftitution to every part of the British dominions. "The option, both of the measure, and of the principle of repeal," continued Mr. BURKE, "was made before the feffion; and I wonder how any one can read the king's fpeech at the opening of that feffion, without feeing in that fpeech both the repeal and the declaratory act very fufficiently crayoned out.Thofe who cannot fee this can fee nothing."

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As the orator paffes on to more important parts of his apology, he does not forget, in the rapidity of his career, to take notice, that the ministry had ufed as much dispatch as was confiftent with due deliberation; and he then states the reafons which had determined their choice both of the measure, and its principle. "A partial repeal," fays he, " or, as the bon ton of the court then was, a modification, would have fatisfied a timid, unsystematic, procrastinating ministry, as fuch a measure has fince done. fuch a ministry. A modification is the conftant refource of weak, undeciding minds. To repeal by a denial of our right to tax in the preamble (and this too did not want advisers), would have cut, in the heroic ftile, the Gordian knot with a fword. Either measure would have cost no more than a day's debate. But when the total repeal was adopted; and adopted on principles of policy, of equity, and of commerce; this plan made it neceffary to enter into many and difficult measures. It became neceffary to open a very large field of evidence commenfurate to thefe extenfive views. *** I think the inquiry lafted in the committee for fix. weeks; and at its conclufion this houfe, by an independent, noble, fpirited, and unexpected majority,---by a majority that will. redeem all the acts ever done by majorities in parliament,--the teeth of all the old mercenary Swiss of state---in despite of all the Speculators and augurs of political events,---in defiance of the whole embattled legion of veteran penfioners and practifed inftruments of a court, gave a total repeal to the stamp-act, and (if it had been fo permitted) a lafting peace to this whole empire."

Thefe particulars were very judiciously ftated for the purpose of fhewing how inconfiftent it would be to attribute fuch an act of fpirit and fortitude to timidity. "If," fays Mr. BURKE, “the conduct of ministry in propofing the repeal, had arisen from

timidity with regard to themselves, it would have been greatly to be condemned. Interested timidity disgraces as much in the cabinet, as personal timidity does in the field. But timidity, with regard to the well-being of our country, is heroic virtue. The noble lord who then conducted affairs, and his worthy colleagues, whilst they trembled at the profpect of such distreffes as you have fince brought upon yourselves, were not afraid fteadily to look in the face that glaring and dazzling influence at which the eyes of eagles have blenched. He looked in the face one of the ableft, and, let me fay, not the most scrupulous oppofitions, that perhaps ever was in this house, and withstood it, unaided by, even one of, the usual fupports of administration."

After fome pointed ftrictures on the grofs falfhood and abfurdity of a report that lord ROCKINGHAM had been bullied into the repeal by Mr. PITT, the orator concludes this head with a burst of eloquence in praise of his noble patron, which has feldom been equalled, and never furpaffed in fublimity and beauty. "I confefs," faid he, "when I look back to that time, I confider him as placed in one of the most trying fituations in which, perhaps, any man ever stood. In the house of peers there were very few of the miniftry, out of the noble lord's own particular connexion, (except lord EGMONT, who acted, as far as I could difcern, an honourable and manly part,) that did not look to fome other future arrangement, which warped his politics. There were in both houfes new and menacing appearances, that might very naturally drive any other, than a most resolute minister, from his measure or from his ftation. The household troops openly revolted. The allies of miniftry (thofe, I mean, who fupported fome of their measures, but refufed refponfibility for any) endea voured to undermine their credit, and to take ground that must

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be fatal to the fuccefs of the very cause which they would be thought to countenance. The queftion of the repeal was brought on by ministry in the committee of this houfe, in the very instant when it was known that more than one court negotiation was carrying on with the heads of the oppofition. Every thing, upon every fide, was full of traps and mines. Earth below fhook; heaven above menaced; all the elements of minifterial fafety were diffolved. It was in the midst of this chaos of plots and counterplots; it was in the midst of this complicated warfare against public oppofition and private treachery, that the firmness of that noble perfon was put to the proof. He never ftirred from his ground; no, not an inch. He remained fixed and determined, in principle, in measure, and in conduct. He practifed no managements. He fecured no retreat. He fought no apology."

We shall have further occafion to refer to this fpeech, which abounds in effufions of genius and fancy. What we have now quoted will make the reader well enough acquainted with Mr, BURKE'S fentiments on the repeal of the ftamp-act, concerning the juftice and policy of which there is now very little difference of opinion, except among the JENKINSONS, the WEDDERBURNES, the ELLIOTS, the COVENTRIES, and other surviving old hacks of the court.

The repeal of the ftamp-act was followed by fome other popular measures, in which Mr. BURKE took a very active part. A bill was paffed for the repeal of the cider-act, and for substituting in the room of the former odious excife a new duty entirely different in the mode of collecting it. General warrants and the seizure of papers, except in cafes provided for by act of parliament, were declared to be illegal, and to be a breach of privilege, if executed against any member; but a bill founded

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