had been before paffed; whereupon Lord Townfhend, the lord lieutenant, delivered a fpeech to both houfes, in which he thanked them for their liberality, but expressed strong resentment at the rejection of the privy council money-bill in the house of Commons; which he confidered as incroaching upon the rights of the crown, and entered a formal protest against it in the house of lords; and to punish the kingdom for this act of temerity in their reprefentatives, he fuddenly prorogued the parliament to a long day; whereby a great variety of public and private bufinefs, effential to the interests of the community at large, as well as to individuals, was at once fufpended. Such an unexpected stroke threw the whole kingdom into confufion.

The minority in the English houfe of Commons defcanted with great fpirit on this tranfaction; the conduct of government was cenfured with freedom: it was charged with having cajoled the parliament of Ireland out of a large fum of money, for the purpose of obtaining a military augmentation in a time of profound peace, which conduct demanded the ftri&teft enquiry.

The miniftry defended the conduct of the lord lieute nant, by representing the Irish house of Commons as making refolutions repugnant to Poyning's law, and of courfe fubverfive of our authority over Ireland, which warranted the castigatory measure which had been afterwards taken to inculcate a sense of their duty. The manner of the proro-. gation of the parliament, was faid to be supported both by precedent and reafon. The majority of the house admitted the validity of the juftification.

Notwithstanding the fpeech from the throne at opening the feffion had recommended the affairs of America to the

attention

attention of both houfes, and that before the rifing of parliement news had arrived of an affray, attended with very ferious confequences, having happened at Bofton, between the king's troops and the townfmen* ; and that the oppofition in both houfes repeatedly preffed for fuch enquiries, yet ministry studiously avoided bringing the business under difcuffion, and the feffion was closed on the nineteenth of May.

The expence of the fervices for the year 1770, amounted to 7,455,0421. For the land forces in Great-Britain, &c. confifting of 17,666 effective men, ordnance, and every contingency of the army, 1,561,681 1. The farther fum of 235,2661. was voted to make good a debt of last year on army extraordinaries. For the navy, being 16,000 feamen, including 4287 marines, 1,522,0671. For maintaining the civil government in the different provinces of North America, and incidental expences, 18,7601. One million eight hundred thousand pounds in exchequer bills, discharged. Five thousand pounds was voted to the inhabitants of Barbadoes, to enable them to cleanse their channel, repair the mole, and render their harbour more safe and commodious: 55,0111. to make good the deficiency of grants for the preceding year: 45,565 1. to the landgrave of Heffe Caffel for expences incurred during the late war in Germany, as reported by the commiffioners appointed to examine and ftate fuch claims and demands: a million and a half capital flock, of three and a half per cent. annuities, established 29th Geo. II. (1756) was redeemed and paid off at par; and a navy debt of 100,000l. was discharged.

To make good thefe fupplies the land tax was continued at three fhillings in the pound; the malt tax was estimated át 700,000l. One million eight hundred thousand pounds was raised by exchequer bills, which was equivalent to the fum difcharged; 400,000l. which the Eat-India company had ftipulated to pay annually, in respect to the territorial acquifitions and revenues lately obtained in the Eaft; the two quarterly receipts from the finking fund, ending January 5, and April 5, 1770, which amounted together to 1,072,6151. were charged upon the aids and supplies; likewife 13,5961. remaining in the exchequer, April 5, over and above the furplus of the finking fund; and 55,4951. in the hands of the paymafter-general of his Majesty's forces. Five hundred thousand pounds was raised by a lottery, for which the next year was to be charged in payment of the prizes to an equal amount. The produce of the finking fund was anticipated in the fum of 1,700,000l. The whole amount of ways and means was 7,794,2241. and exceeded the eftimate of supplies by 344,1821.

Such was the firft inftance of the new financier's abilities, towards alleviating the national burdens. With the affiftance which government received from the Eaft-India company, a large fum from the paymafter-general, and anticipating the produce of the finking fund, the minifter paid off a million and a half of the national debt, and reduced two millions and a half of four per cent ftocks* to three per

恿

This was part of twelve millions borrowed in 1762, for which four per cent. intereft was to be paid for 19 years, after which time, the stock was to be reduced to three per cent. per annum; the subscribers were farther gratified with one per cent. on the loan for a very long term. The minifter therefore, gave 81, for an annuity of 20 s. perann. for eleven years,

cent,

cent. by allowing the holders 81. for every hundred pound tock in two lottery tickets; reckoning the tickets at 141. each, and felling them to fuch stockholders at 101. each. By this reduction 25,000l. per annum was faved to the nation in intereft; but as the whole produce of the lottery was distributed into prizes which were to be paid in money, and as the half million which they amounted to was applied to the current fervice of the year, the national debt was increased half a million; and reckoning the intereft thereupon at three and a half per cent. government. continued to pay to the public 17,500l. per annum ; fo that in confequence of that tranfaction, 7,500l. was faved in the annual intereft of the national debt, and a year's intereft for half a million.

A few days after the rifing of parliament, another humble addrefs, remonftrance, and petition of the lord mayor, aldermen and common-council of the city of London, was prefented to his majefty; which expreffed the deep concern which the city of London felt, at the awful fentence of cenfure lately paffed upon it, in his majesty's answer from the throne; and after recapitulating the grievances complained of in former addreffes, it concluded with a prayer to heaven, that his majesty might reign, as kings * only can reign, in and by the hearts of a loyal, dutiful, and free people.

His majefty in his answer told them, that he should have been wanting to the public, as well as to himself, if he had not expreffed his diffatisfaction at the late addrefs. After which the lord mayor requested leave to reply, which being granted, his lordship addreffed his fovereign, and

*It is to be prefumed that kings of England are here meant.

begged leave to declare in his royal prefence, on behalf of his fellow-citizens, how much the bare apprehenfion of his majesty's displeasure would, at all times, affect their minds; the declaration of which had filled them with inexpreffible anxiety, and with the deepest affliction. He fupplicated his majefty not to difmifs them from his prefence without fome comfort, and prospect at least of redrefs. No answer being returned, the lord mayor and thofe who accompanied him withdrew.

The birth of a princefs occafioned the city of London to present a congratulatory addrefs to his majefty on that event, a week after; when the lord chamberlain acquainted the lord mayor, that as his lordship thought fit to speak to his majesty after his answer to the late remonftrance, he was directed to inform him, as it was unufual, his majefty defired that nothing of that kind might happen for the future. This was the last public transaction in which Mr. Beckford was engaged. He died three weeks after of a fever. As he poffeffed a very ample fortune, was splendid and munificent in his manner of living, had a strong and agreeable elocution, and steadily opposed the measures of the court, he was greatly refpected and confided in. His influence was exerted, to check and reftrain the jarring interests which prevailed among the leaders of oppofition in the city. A foicety had been formed under the title of "The Supporters, of the Bill of Rights," one principal object of which was to exonerate Mr. Wilkes from his debts. Soon after Mr. Beckford's death, violent diffentions broke out; many of the members feceded, and called themfelves "The Conftitutional Society." These two bodies of men entertained a hearty contempt for each other, and the object of procuring redrefs of the violated rights of the electors of Great

Britain,