CHA P. THESE reafons prevailed, and the amendment was XXXII. negatived'. 1777. of lords. THE motion for adjournment was no less strenuously 11th Dec. oppofed in the upper houfe. Lord Chatham, with In the houfe grief and astonishment, heard it made at a time when the affairs of the country prefented profpects full of awe, terror, and impending danger; when events of a most alarming tendency, little expected or forefeen, would fhortly happen; when a cloud was ready to burft and overwhelm the nation in ruin. Could parliament truft, during an adjournment of fix weeks, to men who had occafioned such calamities, when perhaps the utter overthrow of the kingdom was plotting, nay ripe for execution, without almost a poffibility of prevention? A remonftrance fhould be carried to the throne. The king was deluded by his ministers; they were deceived by falfe information, or fanctioned fuppofitions which they knew to be untrue. He treated at large of the neceflity of domestic defence; intimating the certainty of approaching danger, and defcanted with force on the impracticability of reducing America; the delufive speculations on that fubject; the fate of general Burgoyne's army; the magnanimity of the victors; the numerous perils which threatened the kingdom; and the probability that, before the expiration of fix weeks, the noble earl, who propofed the adjournment, would have just cause to repent of his motion. State of the THE adjournment was vindicated on the fame grounds as in the house of commons, with the ad ditional argument, that as that branch of the legislature had acceded to the recefs, no advantage could accrue from a protracted fitting of the lords; the motion was carried ". DURING the recefs, both ministerial and oppofition public mind. parties displayed an earneft difpofition to conciliate the public, and fecure the fuccefs of their future attempts 1 155 to 68, m 47 to 17. by 1777. by popularity. The fenfation occafioned by the pro- CHA P. traction of American refiftance, and the unfavourable XXXII. intelligence recently received, prefented fome means of making impreffions unfavourable to administration, which were eagerly embraced. Before the meeting of parliament, the public began to long for peace; the alarms excited during the early part of the feffion increased that inclination to a pitch which feemed to demand gratification without regard to terms; the mortifying difafter of general Burgoyne, for a time, increafed the clamour", but the predictions of ministers, that the public fpirit would infure a remedy for this calamity, were fpeedily verified. The nation feemed anxious to fhake off the turpitude of depreffion. Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glaf- Subfcription gow, each raised a regiment; and feveral independent regiments. companies were levied in Wales. The livery of London, and corporation of Bristol, refufed to co-operate in these laudable efforts; but the liberality of individuals compenfated for the caution of the chartered -bodies; large fums were fubfcribed for completing these patriotic levies, and fifteen thousand foldiers were by private bounty prefented to the ftate P. for railing for the Ame. 11th Dec. THE ftores of benevolence were not all poured out Subfcription in the cause of the country: a complaint was made, rican priand became the fubject of a motion in the house of toners. lords, that the American prifoners were treated with favage inhumanity in British prifons. The ftate of captives ever affords ready grounds of complaint; and the manners of jailors are rarely calculated to repel, by prefumptive evidence, the facts adduced; yet although fome flight inftances of ill-treatment, refulting rather from habitual careleffnefs than malignant defign, might be substantiated, it was not even infinuated that government ordered or warranted the wanton exercife of power, either in regard to food, fuel, See Gibbon's Pofthumous Works, vol. i. p. 529, 530. • See Lords Debates, 5th December 1777. C 4 or 1777. To alleviate these diftreffes, a CHA P. or perfonal treatment. XXXII. fubfcription was promoted with all the zeal of party; the fum raised was not abundant, but the complaints immediately ceased: the fubject was afterward flightly refumed by lord Abingdon, who, on a fhort explanation, withdrew his motion ". Conduct of France. 1 LORD CHATHAM'S intimations of the hoftile negotiations in France, the diffatisfaction of the American agents, and the poffibility of still averting the junction of the colonies with the natural enemy of Britain, were well founded; although his advice to prevent the independency of America was not practicable. During the whole fummer, the prevalence of the American cause became more and more difcernible in France, and in all countries connected with her. Exultation at every event which could be confidered favourable to America, and injurious to Great Britain, March. was open and undisguised. In the preceding spring, Arthur Lee, formerly agent from America in London, was difpatched by the commiffioners of congrefs to Vienna, for the purpose of being introduced, under the fanction of the French embassador, to the Austrian minister, and of arranging a treaty, or at least purchasing warlike ftores. The connexion between the Americans and France was not fufficiently intimate to make the French embaffador infift on his reception among people of diftinction; he therefore after a fhort stay, purfued his route to Prague, Drefden, and Berlin. In the autumn, however, his return with an authenticated commiffion was publicly mentioned; and notwithftanding the repugnance expreffed by Prince Kaunitz, the Auftrian minifter, to receive a man whom he defcribed as a diplomatic adventurer, M. de Breteuil, the French embaffador, preffed his introduction with irrefiftible perfeverance, and obtained for him fome flight public notice; though all his addrefs was unable to conquer the inflexibility of the emprefs-queen, and the 1778. 9 See debates in the houfe of lords, 2d March 1778. emperor, emperor, or to obtain from Kaunitz more than the CHA P. gloomy, civility of a filent bow. XXXII. 1778. THESE tranfactions were rather vexatious to the British embassador, than important in themselves; but the conduct of the French embaffador, as well as all correfponding circumftances, ftrongly impreffed a belief, that hoftilities against England were only deferred, till fuccefs fhould confirm the independence of America, and render the efpoufal of her caufe less infecure. The conteft between Spain and Portugal had afforded to France an unexceptionable opportunity of augmenting her marine establishment; and in the ufual ftyle, preparatory to hoftilities, fhe began to complain of injuries and infults from British cruizers, and to diffeminate reports of an inevitable rupture. THE capture of general Burgoyne's army gave a Treaty with decifive turn to the counfels of Verfailles; the cause of America, gilded by profperity, was enthusiastically revered by the people; the anti-pacific party gained the afcendancy in the cabinet; and a treaty was entered into, though not yet publicly avowed, nor perhaps all the terms definitively arranged; but extenfive military preparations in the ports of France, produced correfponding efforts in England. THESE circumftances were in part adverted to in the king's fpeech, but the miniftry were yet obliged to await events, without appearing to notice their progrefs. No overt act of hoftility juftified a declaration of war; nor were any reasonable profpects held out for regaining America at a lefs price than the facrifice of every object of contention. America figned. Debates on THE levy of troops by fubfcription was the first 22 Jan. important object which claimed the attention of par- raifing troops liament. Sir Phillip Jennings Clerke moved for an by fubfcrip account of the number raised, and the names of the commanding officers. In the debate, the minister was feverely cenfured for the length of the recefs, while engaged in fo momentous a meafure as that of equipping fifteen ⚫thoufand tion. CHAP. thousand men, without confent of parliament; a preXXXII. cedent which would justify the unconftitutional incor poration of an indefinite number. He was compared 3778. to Pericles, who, exhaufted with misfortune, waited with difeafe, and lingering in pain, walked abroad, bedecked with amulets, charms, and faws of old women. The loan, unfilled and unpaid, was his dif eafe; and the charitable contributions, his amulets and charms. Voluntary donations might be fairly interpreted as proofs of a people's affection, but were no lefs indicative of their real poverty. Private and public life exhibited pregnant proofs, that folicitations on one hand, or benevolences on the other, were the common effects of pride, penury, and pity. Perfons might be mean from choice, naked from madness; but rags difcovered an involuntary madness, or a poverty willing to be concealed. 4th and 5th Feb. THE minifter infifted that no contempt was thrown on the parliament, nor any violation of the conftitution committed; that the American war was juft and popular, and the offers to the crown perfectly conftitutional. The Americans denied the right of the fupreme legiflature, and maintained their caufe by arms; a loyal part of his majesty's subjects, abhorring fuch an unnatural rebellion, had, in proof of those sentiments, offered their perfons and purfes in fupport of the conftitutional rights of their country. The motion was granted. SIR PHILLIP JENNINGS CLERKE repeated his objections to the conduct of government, when fupplies were demanded for clothing the new troops; and the debate was renewed on the report of the committee. Several members of oppofition indulged in fcurrilous reflections against the people of Scotland, and blamed the appointment of officers, in which the forms of military fervice had been violated. The fubfcriptions were faid to be filled by expectants, contractors, merchants, and manufacturers, who had their own separate interests in view, and converted public fpirit |