bel, reflecting upon the houfe of commons, and upon the managers of the impeachment." The motion was oppofed by Mr. Wigley, who thought that the houfe, in its juftice, ought not to proceed in a fevere manner against the honourable member; who, he faid, had already made the most fatisfactory and fufficient apology for what he stood accused of. He then made a number of obfervations on feveral pamphlets written by gentlemen on the fide of oppofition; and thought that the houfe, as well as the honourable member accufed, had a right to enquire into the nature of thofe pamphlets, and to proceed upon them in the fame manner as the house is now doing in the prefent cafe. After several amendments propofed by different members, it was agreed that the motion fhould ftand as follows: "That John Scott, efq. having avowed himself to be the writer of the faid letter, was guilty of a violation of his duty as a member of that house, and of reflecting upon the managers of the impeachment." Mr. Jekyll then moved the previous queftion; which was nega. tived, and the motion, as amended, agreed to. General Burgoyne then moved, "That major Scott be reprimanded at the bar of that house, for his conduct in publishing the faid libel." This motion brought on a very long and perfonal debate, in which Mr. Pitt, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Wyndham took a part; and, after a confiderable oppofition, it was agreed that major Scott fhould be repmanded in his place. Mr. Pitt then moved, that John Scott, efq; do attend in his place in that houfe to-morrow, The order of the day being then read for the attendance of John Scott, efq. in his place, and the ftrangers being ordered to withdraw, he was reprimanded by the fpeaker in the following terms: "Mr. Scott, the house have refolved, that you, being the author of a letter which the house have declared to be a fcandalous and libellous paper, reflecting on the honour and juftice of this house, and on the conduct of the managers appointed to manage the impeachment now depending against Warren Haftings, efq. are guilty of a violation of your duty as a member of this houfe, and of a high breach of the privilege of this house. "On the nature and magnitude of your offence it is unneceflary for me to dwell: whatever has a tendency to depreciate the honour and juftice of this houfe, particularly in the exercife of its inquifitorial functions, tends in the fame proportion to weaken and degrade the energies and dignity of the British conftitution. "The privileges of this houfe have a claim to the respect of every fubject of this country. As a member of this house, it is your duty, as it is a part of your truft, to fupport and protect them. Had a fenfe of thefe obligations produced its due influence on your mind and conduct, you would have avoided the difpleafure of the house, and I fhould have been fpared the pain of declaring to you the refult of it. The moderation of the house is not, however, lefs manifeft on this occafion, than their juft fenfe of their own dignity, and of the importance of their own privileges, It is my duty, in addreffing you, to be guided by the lenity which marks their [G4] pro proceedings; and in the perfuafion that the judgment of the house will operate as an effectual admonition to yourself and to others, I forbear to fay more, than that the houfe have directed that I reprimand you for your faid offence; and, in obedience to their commands, I do reprimand you accordingly." On the 10th day of June, the king put an end to the feffion by a speech from the throne, in which he acquainted the two houses that he had yet received no fatisfactory answer from Madrid; and was therefore under the neceffity of continuing to proceed with expedition and vigour in preparations for war, in the profecution of which he had received the ftrongest affurances from his aljies, of their determination to fulfil the engagements of the exifting treaties. liament of Great-Britain, and had now fat feven feffions, was diffolved by proclamation. Previous to meeting of the parliament of Ireland, the Marquis of Buckingham, after a refidence of two years, was recalled from that kingdom, and the Earl of Weftmorland appointed the lord lieuterant in his ftead; a measure which was probably adopted on account of the misunderstanding which had happened in the laft feffion between the houfe of commons and the former, upon the fubject of the regency; and in order to prevent any obftruction to the affairs of government, that might arife from a retrofpect to the transactions of that period. The feffion was opened on the twenty-first day of January by a fpeech from the throne, which went upon the ufual topics; but upon the report of the addrefs an addition to it was moved, in the house of lords, by lord Portarlington, and by Mr. Grattan, in the commons, expreffing" the apprehenfions which they "entertained from the great in"crease of minifterial influence and "Majefty to apply a remedy to the growing evil, by abolishing un"neceffary and burthenfome places. He then informed them of his intention of immediately diffolving the prefent, and calling a new parliament; thanked them for the proofs they had given of loyalty to his perfon, of attachment to the principles of the conftitution, and of attention to the happinefs and profperity of the people; and concluded by de-corruption, and requesting his claring, that as the loyalty and public fpirit, the industry and enterprize of his fubjects, had feconded their exertions, fo he could rely on their fense of the advantages which they at prefent experience, as well as on their uniform and affectionate attachment to his perfon and government, for a continuance of that harmony and confidence which mult at all times afford the fureft means, of meeting the exigencies of war, or of cultivating, with increafing benefit, the bleffings of peace. On the day following this parliament, which was the fixteenth par and establishments." This amendment was rejected in both houses, after long and warm debates, by large majorities in the house of lords; a ft ong and fpirited proteft was entered and figned by the eight diffenting peers. On the first of February, Mr. Grattan, after reprobating, in a long fpeech, the corrupt fyftem of government which prevailed in that country, and pointing out the neceffity for that houfe to interfere for for the purpose of protecting the people from the burthens it occafioned, made the following motion, That the refolutions of this houfe against increafing the number of "the commiffioners of the revenue, "and dividing the boards, be kid "before his Majesty, with an hum“ble address, that his Majefty will "be graciously pleafed to order to be laid before this houfe the par"ticulars of the reprefentations, in "confequence of which two new "commiffioners of customs have "been added, notwithstanding the "refolutions of this houfe; and alfo that his Majefty will be gracioufly "pleafed to communicate to his "faithful commcns the names of "the perfons concerned in recom"mending that measure." Mr. Conolly feconded the motion, which, after much debate, was rejected by a division by a majority of 135 to 80. Soon after Mr. Forbes called the attention of the house to the increase of the penfion lift, and moved an addrefs to his Majefty, to communicare to the houfe the names of thofe minifters who advised the fame. This motion was alío rejected by a majority of 136 to 92. The members in oppofition were not difcouraged by these repeated defeats. On the 15th of February, Mr.G. Ponfonby moved to reprefent to his Majefty, "That his faithful commons, having taken into confideration the growth of public expence in the last year, could not but obferve many new and increased falaries annexed to offices granted to members of that houfe, no fewer in *The protest was as follows: DISSENTIENT, number than 14; that so rapid au increase of places, together with the number of additional pensions, could not but alarm the house; and tho they never could entertain a doubt of his Majefty's affection and regard for his loyal kingdom of Ireland, yet they feared that his Majelty's fervants may, by mifinformation, fo far have abufed his Majef ty's confidence as to have advised fuch measures for the purpose of increafing influence." Mr. Grattan feconded the motion: and at one o'clock, after a long debate, the question was put, and the houfe divided, when there appeared, ayes 87, noes 146. About the fame time the following refolution was moved in the houfe of peers by the duke of Leinfter: Whereas the lord vifcount Strangford has been deprived of a penfion, which, at the requeft of this houie, his Majefty was graciously pleafed to grant him, unti an adequate provition fhould be made for him in his own line of profeffion: and whereas no cause has been fuggefted or communicated to the noble lord for fuch mark of his Majefty's difpleafure: the houfe, therefore, has every ground to believe, that the fame had reference to his conduct in parliament in the laft feffions; and declare and refolve, that the adviser of the meafure acted difrefpectfully to this houfe, unconflitutionally, and undutifully to his Majesty." The motion being put and negatived by a majority of 20, a strong proteft was afterwards entered in the journals *. The Because we conceive that the power of granting penfions was originally vefted in the crown, to enable the sovereign, whom the constitution regards as the fountain of gratification and of mercy, to promote public virtue, by rewarding eminent fervices and tranfcendent merit, and to relieve the diftrefs into which men of ancient and illuftrious The parliament was foon after- of April was diffolved by procla wards prorogued, and on the eighth /`mation. illustrious family may have fallen, without any fault of their own; and we are firmly perfuaded, that if penfions were to be thus only applied, instead of a difgrace and grievance, they would become an honour and advantage to the country; and that the national expence, which would by this restriction be reduced to a comparative trifle, would be borne and provided for with the utmost alacrity; the wanton application and profufe exorbitancy of fuch gratuities, and not the power of grantng them, having ever been the object of complaint and animadverfion-the penfion lift, and not the penfion establishment. Because we conceive, that from his rank and circumftances no man had ever yet a tronger and more rightful claim to the royal bounty than the lord viscount Strang ford, in confequence of which, and of the unanimous addrefs of this houfe, a penfion of 400l. per ann. was, by his Majefty's humane goodness and gracious condefcenfion to the wishes of his faithful fubjects the peers of this realm, granted to him; of which penfion, however, he has been lately deprived without any cause whatfoever having been affigned for fuch deprivation. Because that when a pention has been granted to a member of this house, in confequence of an addreis from the lords, we humbly conceive that to advise his Majelty to revoke the faid penfion, without previously acquainting their lordships with fuch intention, and with reafons of fuch revocation, is highly difrefpectful to parliament, and derogatory from the dignity of this houfe. Because we have every ground to believe that, in the prefent inftance, the lord vifcount Strangford has been deprived of his penfion on account of his conduct in parliament, as well from the filence of minifters refpecting the caufe of this public mark of his Majefty's difalure, as becaufe at the period of the faid deprivation, and of many others evidently on the fame account, we have seen penhons and places, fome of them created for the occafion, and even the highest favours of the crown lavished with a more than ufual indecency of profufion and corrupt extravagance, manifeftly with the view of obtaining undue influence in Parlia ment-miniftry having thus evinced the tendency of their punishments by that of their rewards. Neither can we, on this occafion, avoid lamenting the additional conviction, which every day brings along with it, of the juftice of our apprehensions, that the aforefaid meatures, together with many others, which have for fome time paft unceasingly alarmed us, are to be confidered only as parts of a general fyftem to undermine the liberties of this country by corruption, and to overthrow, by fapping them from within, thofe bulwarks of our conftitution, which are too ftrong to be openly attacked with any probability of fuccefs. Because we conceive, that to punish any member of parliament on account of his parlimentary conduct, by depriving him of that which he poffeffed from his Majefty's favour, is in the highest degree unconftitutional, being a direct interference of the executive power with the peculiar province and privilege of parliament, and an open attack upon that freedom of the legislative body which is fo effential to public liberty; and we are therefore decidedly and firmly of opinion, that the man who advifed our most gracious fovereign, whofe truly royal mind is, we are confident, etterly incapable of any fuch meafure, unlefs grofsly abufed and mifled, to revoke the pention to rightfully and humanely granted to the lord vifcount Strangford, has acted not only difrelpectfully to this houfe, but in manifeft violation of the fundamental principles of the conftitution. LEINSTER, CORK and ORRERY, FARNHAM, CHAP. CHA P. VI. army: Proceedings of the national affembly after the new law had established fome order and fecurity in Paris. Apply closely to the vast mass of public bafinefs upon their hands. Political annihilation of the two first orders of the ftate. New laws for regulating elections. Appellation of active citizens, to whom applied. Much trouble ftill with the provinces, to bring them to a Surrender of their peculiar rights and privileges. France at length divided into eighty-three departments, and the term Province expunged from the language. Creation and organization of municipalities. Letters de cachet abolished. Gabelle, and others of the most obnoxious taxes, abolished. Affimbly enter into the intricate business of finance; augment the pay of the and establish a new bank. Grand scheme for jeizing the eftates of the clergy, and offering them as a prefent to the nation, to ferve as a fund and fecurity for the difcharge of the public debts, and to answer other important purposes. Some difficulties and obftructions, which appear in the way of carrying this fcheme into execution, are far out-balanced by the vast advantages which it is capable of producing. Decree paffed, which declares all the ecclefiaftical eftates to be at the difpefal of the nation. Stipends allotted for the maintenance of parish priests, &c. Difcontents rife to the highest pitch amongst the clergy, many of the bishops, and nearly all the chapters in the kingdom, protest against the decree. Combination of the canons, and endeavours ufed at Rome to draw the maledictions of the church upon the national ↑ affembly. Great prudence and address displayed by the affembly in its tranf actions with the court of Rome. Sovereign pontiff feems to be fatisfied with their proteftations. France fwarms with publications of every fort, in profe and in verfe, against the national assembly, its proceedings and defigns, Several of the parliaments attempt to be troublefome, and protest against the decrees of the affembly; but having loft all influence with the people, are obliged to fubmit reluctantly to their fate. Parliament of Bourdeaux continues longer in a state of turbulence than any of the others, and endeavours to excite an infurrection in the fouth. Stories of plots and confpiracies neceffary to keep the minds of the people in conftant agitation. Various accujations against the king's minifters, and a greater number against the aristocrates in general. Animofities fo violent between the remaining nobles in the affembly, and the democratical leaders, that frequent duels are the confequence. Nation, in general, faid to be unanimous in fupporting the affembly, and offers to raise three millions of foldiers in defence of the new conftitution. Situation of the captive king and of the royal family in the palace, now ftate prifon, of the Thuilleries. Ill effect produced at home and abroad, and worfe confequences likely to enfue, from the king's captivity, when his free fanction is neceffary to give validity to their laws, caufes great uneafinefs in the national affembly. Scheme formed to obviate thefe difficulties, by inducing the king to appear to come voluntarily to the national affembly, to declare himfelf fully fatisfied with all their proceedings, and that he confiders himself as being at the head of the revolution. Liberal conduct of the affembly with respect |