acknowledge their independence on conditions, they CHA P. will in return, form a federal treaty, offenfive, defen- XXXIII. five, and commercial, with us.' THE Compact figned at Paris was not yet ratified by congrefs, and by a speedy and candid exertion, this country might have been enabled to take advantage of the natural predilection prevailing in America, and either fruftrate the French treaty, or by entering into one on equal terms, fucceed in depriving the French of all the benefits of their dexterity, fince the Ameri cans would more willingly keep their commerce in its accustomed channel, than engage with ftrangers, with whofe language they were unacquainted. If a federal treaty were not adopted, and the Americans fhould ever be induced to treat on other terms, one of their first demands must be a reimbursement of expenfes, and an indemnification for loffes. A pecuniary remuneration was impoffible; but, inftead of that mode, government must facrifice Canada, Nova Scotia, and the Newfoundland fifhery; this he knew would be infifted on; but if independence were conceded, America could only treat on the fame ground as any other independent nation, and indemnities were by them never required. He expofed the fallacy of arguments tending to fhew our force infufficient for refiftance to the new enemy, and concluded, by declining to interfere with the amendment: he was indifferent who were or fhould be minifters; but coincided in every feeling of refentment expreffed by the addrefs. GENERAL CONWAY fupported the principles fo ably advanced by governor Pownall, and corroborated his statements by obferving, he had feen a letter from Dr. Franklin, written fince the fignature of the French treaty, offering peace, if Great Britain would forego the claim to fupremacy: and Mr. Dundas faid, he fhould rather with to form a federal union than lose America, or let her fall into the hands of France. LORD CHATHAM was several times mentioned in the debate, as a minister who could unite the confidence of 1778. 1778, CHA P. of all parties, terrify the houfe of Bourdon, and conXXXIII. ciliate America; but lord North, after repeating his difregard of his employments, obferved, that as the intereft of the empire, no lefs than his own pride, required his continuance in office, he was determined not to quit the helm, until the veffel was fafe in port. THE original addrefs was carried'. Addrefs in lords. AN amendment was propofed in the upper, fimilar the houfe of to that in the lower houfe; no oppofition was offered by the lords in administration, except one fingle remark, that it was unprecedented to clog an address with a condition, implying that a measure, right in itself, ought not to be purfued, unless fomething elfe were granted. The debate was chiefly maintained by two diftinct parties in oppofition, of whom fome were defirous to preferve peace with France at all events, and concede the independence of America, while others felt the indignity offered to Great Britain, as a juftification of inftant hoftility; and reprefented the lofs of America as the termination of British profperity: the amendment was negatived, and the addrefs carried. Addreffes were alfo returned to a meffage for calling out the militia, without divifion or debate. 23d Mar. Debate on the navy. 11th and 16th Feb. 11th Mar. THE navy engaged a confiderable portion of parliamentary attention. Before the receipt of the meffage refpecting France, the condition of this bulwark of the British empire had been severely fcrutinized in the committee of fupply. An account of the fhips in Great Britain and Ireland being fubmitted to the committee on the state of the nation, Mr. Fox founded on it a motion, that the navy was inadequate to the defence mittee on the of the country." Mr. Temple Luttrell followed the mover, and concluded a long fpeech, fully displaying the bad condition of the fhips, the neglect of fupplies, and the general deplorable state of the fervice in every department, by declaring that nothing could be clearer Fox's motion in the com ftate of the nation. 263 to 118. * 100 to 36. 68 to 25. than 1778. than the inadequacy of the naval power to the prefent CHA P. crifis of public affairs, excepting the proftitution, mif- XXXIII. management, and atrocious criminality of thofe ministers whom our deluded fovereign had fatally chofen to entrust with this beft protection of the realm. No detailed anfwer was given to his statements or arguments, as the king's meffage refpecting France was then in preparation; but admiral Keppel took occafion to fay, that if he had the honour to be employed in the service of his country, he rather wifhed to have a fmall. fleet well fitted and completely manned, than a large number of fhips badly equipped. The previous queftion was negatived without a division. The duke of IN the house of lords, the duke of Bolton moved 25th Feb. for the perfonal examination of the furveyor of the Bolton' navy. Lord Sandwich, declaring he did not wish to motion. evade the closest investigation, refifted the propofition, as tending to injure the country by making improper disclosures; the papers already fubmitted to the house afforded undue information. The motion was negatived; but lord Radnor observed, that in rejecting it for the reafons affigned, the house treated the first lord of the admiralty with more refpect than their ancestors had treated the husband of the queen of England. Lord Effing THE earl of Effingham, accufing lord Sandwich of 31ft Mar. grofs mifmanagement, and representing the marine in ham's mo the most difgraceful view, moved a series of propofi- tion. tions, for disclosing the state of the navy during the laft eight years, the ordinary estimates, and fhips broke up, built and repaired. The profeffed objects of these motions was the enforcement of economy, which, he faid, was grofsly violated in every branch of the fervice: there was a conftant repugnancy between the estimates and the actual expenditure, which was a grofs infult to parliament, and a fhameful fallacy and deceit. Lord Sandwich made a specific defencè XXXIII. 1778. CHA P. on each head, and, comparing the present fate of the navy with its condition in 1727, formed deductions highly favourable to his own adminiftration; the British force then confifted of a hundred and ninety fhips of war, it was now three hundred and feventythree; and expenfes of every kind were doubled. Ír the course of debate, many collateral topics were agitated; the management of Greenwich hofpital, the improvidence in forming contracts, and the peculations in the dock-yards; and the first lord of the admiralty was threatened with popular vengeance. The populace would rife, and, as the Dutch had treated the De Witts, tear him limb from limb. The debate then became exceedingly tumultuous, and the motions were all negatived. PREVIOUSLY to this difcuffion, the attention of the houfe had been engaged on the subject of contracts: the earl of Effingham, in the committee on the ftate of the nation, pointed out what he confidered a mot fcandalous want of economy in the transport service, by which an expenfe had been created of fix hundred thousand pounds: witneffes were examined, and several refolutions tendered, which were difpofed of by voting the chairman to leave the chair. COLONEL BARRE' alfo moved for a felect committee to inspect the public accounts; charging the minister with grofs negligence and ignorance in making contracts, and the house with fhameful and traitorous fervility in fanctioning his evasions and delufions. He analyfed, with fcrupulous feverity, the conduct of agents and contractors; the mode of dividing profits; and cenfured, in unqualified terms, the contracts and agencies of Meffrs. Harley and Drummond, on the Spanish, Portuguese, and Britifh gold coin; and Mr. Atkinfon, relative to his rum contract, and agency for the hire of tranfports for the treasury. But it was not wonderful, he faid, that great fums had been devoured by contracts, when the minister was fo criminally ignorant as not to know currency from sterling. LORD NORTH having explained himself with fome c HAг. warmth on the imputed ignorance and mifconduct, XXXIII. and confented to the appointment of a committee, a report was presented to the house, but at too late a 18th May. period to be taken into confideration. SIR PHILIP JENNINGS CLERKE took advantage of thefe difcuffions to catch at popularity, by introducing a bill for the exclufion of contractors from parliament, unless their contracts were obtained by a public bidding. The debate on the preparatory motion was as might be expected, a feries of declamations, or of artful fuggeftions, defigned to entrap the minifter. The motion was faid not to be hoftile to the perfons or characters of contractors, but framed to prevent the foul deeds imputed to minifters, and men fuppofed in league to rob the public. The minister, if he confidered properly his own intereft, reputation, and perfonal fatisfaction, ought to fupport the motion; and contractors would be relieved from all the obloquy to which they were expofed. It was not defigned to exclude them for being contractors in a fair, open, equitable manner; but for being clofet contractors, private plunderers; confederates with a corrupt administration; robbing their country, and either fharing the spoil with the reft of the public confpirators, or with fome others, more remote from the general obfervation. MANY reflections were made on the perfons, characters, and gains of contractors; and lord George Gordon, an intemperate fanatic, called the minifter, the greatest of all contractors; a contractor for men; a contractor for parliamentary flocks; a contractor for the reprefentatives of the people. He fincerely wished him to fave his country, and his own life; to call off his butchers and ravagers from the colonies; to retire with the rest of his majesty's evil advisers, from the public government and make way for honeft and wifer counfellors: " to turn from his wickedness and live." It was not yet too late to repent; the public clamour for revenge was not yet railed against him; his ma jesty's 1778. 13th April. Bill for excluding con tractors from parliament. |