the internal government of the ftate, than to conduct the affairs of a great empire, in fituations peculiarly intricate. During Mr. Pitt's brilliant administration, Mr. George Grenville opposed the measures then pursued, altho' framed by the husband of his fifter; but his laboured researches were conftantly nullified, by the emanations of Mr. Pitt's enlightened mind *. The measures respecting the American colonies, which were adopted and carried into effect during Mr. Grenville's fhort administration, it is not our business to speak of here; let it fuffice to say, that the integrity of his conduct, and his zeal to promote the welfare of his country, remain unimpeached, Meanwhile, the city of London having taken the lead in every measure, which oppofed the conduct of the house of Commons, in seating Col. Luttrell as member for Middlesex, and excluding Mr. Wilkes, could not quietly be No orator ever more fully poffeffed the talent of turning the edge of an antagonist's argument by a sportive fally, than this English Demofthenes. Whilft he was leading minifter in the house of Commons, Mr. Grenville opposed a measure, which was carrying thro' that house, by asking, where we should find men? where we fhould find money? where we should find fhips? &c. In the midst of these interrogations, the minifter arose from his feat, and with a dignified pleasantry exclaiming, Tell me, gentle shepherd, where; deliberately walked out of the house. In confequence of which incident, Mr. Grenville was known by the appellation of "the gentle fhepherd" for many years. Mr. Pitt treated his brother-in-law as a dull fyftematic politician, whose attention was directed to minute objects, being incapable of forming a noble and comprehensive plan of policy. He reprefented him as coming with his dog's-eared statutes to a debate. Mr. Burke, fome few years after, alluding to this remark, made by the oracle of the fenate, talked of having ftudied "till he had made dog's ears in the statute books." hold hold that great national question likely to be passed over without any farther difcuffion. Mr. Beckford, who was then a fecond time lord mayor, had ever been diftinguished for the warm manner in which he maintained the rights of the people to choose their reprefentatives without any control of parliament. The livery of London were convened in Common Hall, and it was there refolved to prefent an humble addrefs, remonftrance, and petition to his majesty, in the names of the lord mayor, aldermen, and livery of the city of London, praying for a diffolution of parliament, and the removal of evil minifters *. In this piece, the title and contents of which feemed at variance, great freedom and spirit were indulged. His majesty was therein told," that under the fame fecret and malign influence, which thro' each fucceffive adminiftration has defeated every good, and fuggefted every bad intention, the majority of the houfe of Commons have deprived his people of their deareft rights. They have done a deed more ruinous in its confequences, than the levying of fhip-money by Charles the Ift, or the difpenfing power affumed by James the IId, a deed which muft vitiate all the future proceedings of this parliament; for the acts of the legislature itself can no more be valid without a legal houfe of Commons, than without a legal Prince upon the throne. Reprefentatives of the people are effential to the making of laws, and there is a time when it is morally demonftrable that men cease to be reprefentatives. That time is now arrived. The prefent houfe of Commons do not reprefent the people, We owe to your majefty an obedience, under the restriction of the laws, for the calling and duration of parliaments; and your majefty owes to us, that our reprefentation, free from the force of arms or corruption, fhould be *March 17. 1770. preferved preferved to us in parliament. It was for this we fuccefsfully ftruggled under James the IId, for this we feated, and have faithfully fupported your majefty's family on the throne. Under James the IId, the people complained that the fitting of parliament was interrupted, because it was not corruptly fubfervient to his defigns: we complain now, that the fitting of this parliament, is not interrupted, because it is corruptly fubfervient to your majefty's minifters. We call God and man to witness, that as we do not owe our liberty to thofe nice and fubtle diftinctions, which places, penfions, and lucrative employments have invented, fo neither will we be deprived of it by them; but, as it was gained by the ftern virtue of our ancestors, by the virtue of their defcendants it fhall be preferved." His majefty, in his anfwer, told them, " that he should always be ready to receive the requefts, and to listen to the complaints of his fubjects; but it gave him great concern to find, that any of them fhould have been so far mifled, as to offer him an addrefs and remonftrance, the contents of which he could not but confider as difrespectful to him, injurious to his parliament, and irreconcileable to the principles of the conftitution." The day on which this address was delivered, the earl of Chatham made a motion in the houfe of Lords for an address to the throne, praying his majesty to diffolve the parliament. He ftated the public difcontents in England, Ireland, and America; affirmed, that the people had no confidence in the then fubfifting houfe of Commons; and fhewed, from the fituation of public affairs, the great neceffity of having a parliament, in whom the people could place a proper confidence. The motion was overruled by a great majority. The The next day a member in the house of Commons moved to address the king, praying, that a copy of the city addrefs, as well as his majesty's answer, might be laid before the house. A very animated debate enfued. The lord mayor, who was one of the members for the city, instead of fhrinking from the conteft, avowed the part he had taken in the remonstrance, maintained the propriety of it, and declared, that he should ever glory in it. Mr. Trecothick, another city member, and the two fheriffs, Mr. Townsend and Mr. Sawbridge, who were members, fupported their chief magiftrate against the weight of the houfe; they juftified the language used to his majesty, and declared themfelves ready to enter into the merits of that transaction. This brought on a long and animated debate, in which the right of the fubject to petition the throne was difcuffed; and the houfe was much divided in fentiment, not only concerning the propriety of the city of London presenting a petition to the throne, for the purpose of cenfuring the conduct of the Commons of Great-Britain, but more particularly con cerning the expreffions made ufe of in their remonftrance; and many members, who approved of this mode of conveying to the royal ear the grievances of the people, reprobated the terms made use of on this occafion. Others, with great animation, endeavoured to ftir up the house to inflict fome fignal punishment on the principal inftigators to a corporate act, which, they said, had denied the authority of parliament, infulted the throne, and was performed with all the circumstances of tumultuous parade; which tended to terrify the minds of the peaceable, and inflame thè paffions of every misguided member of the community. The motion for an addrefs was at length carried by a great majority, and when in confequence thereof the remonftrance was laid before the house, after the journals and other records had been examined, the houfe paffed a refolution to addrefs addrefs his majefty, and to confer with the Lords to obtain their concurrence thereto; which being readily given, the address was presented on the 23d of March. It acknowledged the right of the subject to petition the throne, but cenfured, very feverely, the indiscreet manner in which this right had been exercised by the city of London; the direct tendency of which was, to disturb the peace of the kingdom, and fubvert all lawful authority. Many people expected, that fresh instances of expulfion and incapacitation would have enfued, but more moderate measures prevailed, and, with the address, the business was difmiffed, Whilft this conteft was carried on between the reprefentative body and their conftituents, caufes of diffenfion arofe in Ireland, between the house of Commons there, and the lord lieutenant: A new parliament had met, and it had ever been customary on thofe occafions, fince the reign of Henry VII. for a money-bill to be framed in the privycouncil of that kingdom, and from thence brought into parliament; the object of which was, not to raise any material fupply, but to fecure to government the mere form of a right derived from Poyning's law, which was never meant to be exercised for any purpose of revenue, and was repugnant to the established conftitution of both kingdoms; one of the fundamental principles of which being, that all money-bills fhall originate in the house of Commons. On this ground the bill was rejected; but to fhew that its rejection arose from a diflike of the mode, not from a reluc tance to grant the requifite aids, another money-bill was framed by the house, which made ample provifion for government*, and was paffed with great unanimity. A bill for augmenting the land forces, from 12,000 to 15,000 men, * Upwards of two millions of money were granted for two years. had |