mended may lead us to advise his Majefty to diffolve the prefent Parliament, nor have I a doubt of our right to give that advice if we should think it neceffary, and his Majefty will then determine whether he will yield to the united petitions of his people."

The amendment, after a vehement debate, was at length negatived; and it may be remarked upon the oppofite reafonings employed by thefe juftly celebrated Noblemen, that the arguments of Lord Mansfield are incontrovertible, on the fuppofition of the existence of a regular fyftem of government; and that the reasonings of Lord Chatham, however abftractedly noble and juft, are applicable only to cafes which imply, if not an actual fubverfion of government, at least the expediency of incurring the eventual rifque of fuch fubverfion. That the jurifdiction of the House of Commons extended to the cafe of the Middlesex election, as well as all other elections, and that the validity of their decifion could not on any eftablished judicial principles be difputed, is fufficiently apparent; and if it be admitted that this decifion was in fact unwife, or even unjuft, it cannot without the utmost extravagance be deemed fuch an instance of oppreffion or mifrule as to justify a public or national refiftance, or the adoption of any meafures which evidently bore that complexion or tendency.

Lord

Lord Camden, having in the course of the debate condemned in decifive terms the proceedings of the Houfe of Commons, and actually dividing on this occafion with Lord Chatham, was immediately compelled to relinquith the Great Seal; but fuch was the political confternation prevailing at this crifis, that no perfon competent to the office could be perfuaded to accept it. Mr. Yorke, Attorney-General, fon of the late Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, a man of the higheft profeffional ability, had given a pofitive affurance to the Earl his brother, that he would not upon any terms liften to the offers of the Court: but on being fent for by the King, and earneftly folicited, he at length in a fatal moment of weakness and guilt confented, and a patent was immediately ordered to be prepared for his elevation to the peerage, by the title of Lord Morden. On re

pairing to the refidence of his brother, in order to explain to him the motives of his acceptance, he was refufed admiffion; and in the agitation of his mind, unable to endure the torture of his own reflections, he in a few hours put a period to his existence. The Great Seal was after this cataftrophe put into commiffion, and at length (January 1771) given to Mr. Juftice Bathurst, only fon of Lord Bathurst, created Baron Apfley, a Nobleman by whofe talents the fplendid reputation of Lord Camden was in no danger of being S 4 eclipsed,

eclipfed. The removal of that great Magistrate was followed by the refignations of the Dukes of Beaufort and Manchefter; the Earls of Coventry and Huntingdon, and Lord Granby, Commander in Chief of the Forces of Great Britain. The Earl of Briftol choofing the tranquil and irrefponfible poft of Firft Lord of the Bedchamber, vacated by the Earl of Huntingdon, the Privy Seal was delivered to the Earl of Halifax.

On the 22d of January 1770, the Marquis of Rockinghain moved for fixing a day to take into confideration the State of the Nation. His Lordfhip infifted," that the prefent unhappy condition of affairs, and the univerfal difcontents of the people, did not arife from any immediate temporary caufe, but had grown upon the nation by degrees from the moment of his Majefty's acceffion to the throne: that a total change had then taken place in the old fyftem of English government, and a new maxim adopted, fatal to the liberties of this country, viz. that the royal prerogative alone was fufficient to fupport Government, to whatever hands the adminiftration fhould be committed. The operation of this principle, his Lordship said, could be traced through every act of Government during the prefent reign, in which his Majesty's fecret advifers could be fuppofed to have any influence. He recommended it therefore ftrongly to their Lordships, to fix an early day for taking into

confideration

1

confideration the state of this country in all its relations and dependencies, foreign, provincial, and domeftic, for we had been injured in them all. That confideration would, he trufted, lead their Lordships to advise the Crown, not only how to correct paft errors, but how to establish a system of government more wife, more permanent, better fuited to the genius of the people, and confiftent with the spirit of the Conftitution."

The Duke of Grafton himself rose to second the motion; and Lord Chatham, declaring his intention anticipated by his Grace, protested, “ that his infirmities must fall heavy on him indeed, if he did not attend his duty in the Houfe that day; and he wished his avowed approbation of the motion now made to be understood as a public demonftration of the cordial union that now fubfifted between the Noble Marquis and himself. There was indeed a time, he faid, when those who wished well to neither, found a fufficient gratification for their malignity against both. But the Noble Lord and his friends are now, faid he, united with me and mine, upon a principle which I trust will be found as permanent as it is honorable;not to fhare the emoluments of the State, but, if poffible, to fave it from impending ruin."

The 2d of February was fixed upon by the House for refolving itself into a Committee of Inquiry; but on the 28th of January, the Duke

of

of Grafton unexpectedly refigned his office as First Lord Commiffioner of the Treasury; and Lord North, who had now been two years Chancellor of the Exchequer, was nominated his fucceffor. Thus was at length formed that famous Adminiftration, which exercifed the powers of government for twelve fucceffive years; and which, not deriving a fingle ray of reason from the errors of their predeceffors, by their rafh, violent, and vindictive measures fhook the mighty and majestic fabric of the British Empire to its very foundation.

The character of the Nobleman who at this crifis voluntarily relinquifhed the helm of government, has been, in confequence of the violent, not to fay the malignant and factious spirit which predominated under his administration, grofsly mifreprefented. Educated in the pureft principles of antient Whiggifm, for a zealous attachment to which his Grace's ancestors had from the era of the Revolution been confpicuoufly diftinguished *, he made an early and brilliant entrance into public life, under the aufpices of the Earl of Chatham, who, in a manner not to be refifted, urged his acceptance of the Treafury, which the Duke, on

The first Duke of Grafton, of whom hiftorians have univerfally fpoken in the highest terms of applaufe, loft his life, when fcarcely paft the prime, in defence of his country, at the fiege of Cork, under the Earl of Marlborough, in the year fucceeding the Revolution.

the