XXIV. ties which his tafte and learning enabled him CHAP, to collect and difpofe with fo much grace and facility; his fpeeches were liftened to with admiration as elegant pleadings; but Fox was always elevated above his fubject, and by energy of manner, and impetuofity of oratory, ftaggered the impartial, animated his adherents, and threw uneafinefs, alarm, and aftonifhment into the minds of his opponents. SUCH were the principal men to whom the difcuffion of the grand queftion relative to the rights and authority of Great Britain over her colonies was committed; who by their conduct as minifters, or their exertions in support of, and oppofition to the meafures of government, regulated the progrefs of this important conteft.P In depicting these characters, my own judgment and recollection have been much affifted by private information. The eloquent Gibbon has in his ufual mafterly manner defcribed this parliament in his Memoirs, publifhed by lord Sheffield, p. 146: I affifted at the "debates of a free affembly; I listened to the attack and defence "of eloquence and reafon; I had a near profpect of the characters, "views, and paffions of the first men of the age. The cause of government was ably vindicated by lord North, a statesman of "Ipotless integrity, a confummate mafter of debate, who could "wield, with equal dexterity, the arms of reafon and of ridicule. "He was feated on the treafury-bench, between his attorney and "folicitor-general, the two pillars of the law and ftate, magis pares quam fimiles; and the minifter might indulge in a fhort flum. "ber, whilft he was upholden on either hand by the majeftic "fenfe of Thurlow, and the fkiiful eloquence of Wedderburne. "From the adverfe fide of the houfe an ardent and powerful oppo"fition was fupported by the lively declamation of Barre, the legal "acuteness of Dunning; the profufe and philofophic fancy of "Burke; and the argumentative vehemence of Fox, who in con" dnct of a party, approved himself equal to the conduct of an "empire. By fuch men every operation of peace and war, every "principle of justice or policy, every queftion of authority and "freedom, was attacked and defended; and the fubject of the "momentous conteft was the union or feparation of Great Britain " and America." CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIFTH: 1774-1775. - Meeting of parliament.-King's Speech. Amendment moved.-Proteft.--Seamen reduced.-Papers laid before parliament.— Lord Chatham's motion for removal of troops -Negatived. He moves for leave to bring in a bill, for quieting the troubles in America.-Heads of the bill.-Oppofed by lord Sandwich - And the duke of Grafton.Supported by lord Camden-And lord Shelburne. Perfonal altercations. -Intemperate fpeech of lord Chatham.-Reply.-Petitions in favour of the Americans—Referred to a committee.-Petition of Dr. Franklin and others-rejected.- Committee on American papers.-Motion for an addrefs — carried. -carried. Motion to recommit the addrefs-negatived. - Conference. Debate in the houfe of lords. Energetic Speech of lord Mansfield.-Perfonal altercation. Motion carried.-Protefts.-Augmentation of forces. - New England reftraining bill-Petitions. Evidence. Debate on the third reading.-Oppofed in the house of lords.—Amendment made—and withdrawn. Bill for reftraining other colonies.-Bounties to Ireland. -Lord North's conciliatory propofitions. Supported by governor Pownall.-Embarrafment of the minifter. He is extricated by Sir Gilbert Refolution agreed to.- Burke's motion. His fpeech. Propofition rejected. Mr. Hartley's plan-negatived.- New - Elliott. York York remonstrance-rejected. Attempt to repeal the Quebec act.-Other proceedings. -Prorogation. - THE XXV. parlia HE houfe of commons having re-elected Sir CHAP. Fletcher Norton fpeaker, the king opened the feffion, by mentioning, with great concern, 1774. the daring fpirit of refiftance to the laws, which 29th Nov. in Maffachuffet's Bay had broken forth in freth Meeting of violences of a very criminal nature, and was ment. countenanced in other colonies. Meafures, he 30th, King's added, had been adopted to enforce the acts of speech. laft feffion, for the protection of commerce, and re-establishment of peace. His majefty declared his refolution to withstand every attempt to weaken or impair the fupreme authority of the legiflature, over all his dominions, the maintenance of which, he confidered effential to the dignity, fafety, and welfare of the empire. moved. THE duke of Richmond moved an amend- Amendment to the addrefs, and the unufual measure of ment protesting against its rejection was adopted by Lords nine peers, who "would not, in hafte, without protest. inquiry or information, commit themfelves in "declarations, which might precipitate their "country into the horrors of civil war." In the IN the houfe of commons, an amendment, 5th Dec by lord John Cavendish, requiring a commu- houfe of nication of the intelligence received from Ame- commons. rica, was refifted, on the plea of the minifter, that, admitting the expediency of a reconciliation with the colonies, yet as they had not offered terms, England could not be the firft to fubmit. The addrefs was carried by 264 against 73, a majority which proved the ftrength of the minifter in the new parliament. duced. SUFFICIENT information had not yet arrived Seamen reconcerning the extent of American refistance: the letters hitherto received from the governors, warranted 0 4 1774. CHAP. warranted indeed the obfervations in the king's fpecch, but contained neither facts nor inferences, which could juftify the miniftry in ftating to parliament the expectation of an armed op12th Dec. pofition. The number of feamen was therefore reduced to fixteen thoufand, and the land forces fixed at feventeen thoufand five hundred and forty-feven effective men: the minifter, at the fame time, after admitting that the meafures adopted by the laft parliament had not been attended with their expected effect, promifed the communication of papers, and that a committee fhould be formed to take into confideration the affairs of America. Fresh intelligence received. 19th Jan. 1775 Papers laid before par liament. 20th Jan. Lord Chatham's mo INTELLIGENCE received during the recefs, more unequivocally afcertained the difpofition of the Americans, and included accounts of all their proceedings, to the feizure of Fort William and Mary. The meafures of government were alfo in that period decided, and an adherence to the fyftem of coercion fully determined. LORD NORTH took the earlieft opportunity of fubmitting to parliament numerous papers from all the colonies, containing letters, proclamations, narratives of proceedings, and other interefting documents, together with the fentiments of governors, and other public men, on the state of affairs. Thefe communications were fubmitted to a committee. In the upper houfe, lord Chatham moved for an addrefs, requefting the king to allay the tion for unhappy ferments in America, by removing the removal of troops from Bofton. In his fpeech, he cenfured the delay of communication, and accufed the miniftry of deluding the people by falfe reprefentations. Inftant efforts thould be exerted troops. a There were at firft no letters from Maryland, but the deficiency was afterwards fupplied. to 66 66 XXV. 1775 to effect reconciliation before the meeting of CHAP. the delegates, and nothing but being nailed to his bed, by the extremity of fick nefs, fhould prevent him from paying unremitted attention to fo important a fubject. "I will knock," he faid, "at the door of this fleeping and confounded "miniftry, and roufe them to a fenfe of "their imminent danger. When I ftate the importance of the colonies, and the mag"nitude of the danger hanging over this country, from the prefent plan of mis-adminiftration, I defire not to be understood "to argue a reciprocity of indulgence between England and America. I contend not for indulgence, but juftice, to America: and I "fhall ever contend, that the Americans juftly owe obedience to us in a limited degree:they owe obedience to our ordinances of "trade and navigation; but let the line be "fkilfully drawn between the objects of thofe "ordinances, and their private internal proper"ty; let the facredness of their property remain "inviolate; let it be taxable only by their own "confent, given in their provincial affem"blies;-elfe it will ceafe to be property.-As 66 66 66 to the metaphyfical refinements, attempting "to fhew that the Americans are equally free "from obedience and commercial reftraints, as " from taxation for revenue, as being unrepre“fented here; I pronounce them futile, frivo"lous, and groundless. Refistance to your "acts was neceffary as it was juft; and your "vain declaration of the omnipotence of par"liament, and your imperious doctrines of the "neceflity of fubmiffion, will be found equally 66 impotent to convince or enflave your fellowfubjects in America, who feel, that tyranny, "whether ambitioned by an individual part of "the |