home, the disorders in our colonies increased to fuch a degree as to grow every day more alarming, and afforded fresh food for difcontent. Great complaints were alfo made of the neglect of our foreign interefts. It was faid that the weaknefs of government had encouraged the neighbouring states to treat us with contempt and indifference. The invafion of Corfica caufed a great clamour, and the fupineness of government upon that occafion became a conftant fubject of reproach. To fhew how oppofite this conduct was to the fenfe of the people, fubfcriptions were opened, and confiderable fums of money received and tranfmitted for the relief of the Corficans. Exclufive of the confideration of real danger that might accrue from this new acquifition to France, the English were naturally interested in the fate of a people, who, regardless of the great fuperiority of force, were bravely ftruggling in the defence of their liberties. It was also afferted, that a fmall degree of vigour in government, would have prevented France from making the attempt, without the hazard of a war. It had been long a received opinion, that no miniftry could fubfift long, or be able to carry on the national business in this country, without fome fhare of popularity, and being poffeffed of a certain degree of public confidence and efteem. It was therefore thought impoffible for the miniftry, in the prefent critical fituation of affairs both at home and abroad, and the apparent public diflike that attended almost all their mea fures, together with an evident want of union among themselves, even to be able to ftand their ground. This opinion, however plaufible in theory, and feemingly confirmed by experience, was now practically overthrown; and the miniftry, though labouring under a weight of populard odium fcarcely before experienced by any other, and with a diminution, rather than any addition of ftrength, was able to weather a feafon uncommonly ftormy.` We have formerly observed, that lord Chatham, who was regarded as the founder of this ministry, had, from bodily diforders and other caufes, in a great measure withdrawn from public bufinefs, and had totally lost that lead in their councils and measures, which it was thought he must always poffefs during the continuance of the prefent fyftem. It was fuppofed, that when they found that they were able to act of themfelves, and that his fupport was no longer neceffary, a total neglect and indifference foon took place, and that he was no longer thought of, nor confulted upon any occafion. This however did not fo evidently appear until the bufinefs of Sir Jeffrey Amhert, who was lord Chatham's particular friend, and under his immediate patronage. This was immediately fuecceded by the refignation of lord Shelburne, fecretary of ftate for the fouthern department, who was alfo ftrongly attached to lord Chatham. The minifters. feemed to proceed with little attention to their nominal leader; whom in their turn they accused of deferting them, and of either refufing his council when he was able to give it, or of infifting on a direction in adminiftration, when by his infirmities he was no longer able to supă port port it. The rupture began to grow public, notwithstanding fome pains feemed to be taken on both fides for fome time to conceal it. However the earl of ShelO&. 21. burne was fucceeded by 1768. lord Weymouth, from the northern department; and the earl of Rochford, late ambaffador at Paris, was appointed fucceffor to ord Weymouth. About the fame time the earl of Chatham refigned his place of lord keeper of the privy feal, and was, to the furprize of the world, fucceeded by his friend the earl of Bristol. Such feems pretty nearly to have been the state of public affairs, previous to the fecond feffion of the new parliament. We have before obferved, that the fhort fummer feffion was only held to renew the provifion bills, and to go through fuch other temporary bufinefs as required immediate attention. Great expectations were accordingly formed from this meeting, and it was hoped that fuch measures would have been adopted, as would tend to quiet the people, and at the fame time fupport the dignity of the crown. Nov. 8. In the fpeech from the throne, it was recommended to parliament, to profecute the confideration of thofe great commercial interests which had been entered upon before, but which the shortness of the last feffion of the late parliament had prevented from being brought to a final conclufion. A concern was expreffed, that all the other powers of Europe had not been as careful as his majefty, to avoid taking any meafures that might endanger the general tranquillity. That however the ftrongeft affurances had been received from them, of their pacific difpofitions towards this country. An affurance was given of a conftant attention to the interefts of Europe, and that no attempt fhould be fuffered derogatory to the honour of the crown, or injurious to the interefts of the people. Great ftrefs was laid upon the conduct of the Americans; and the capital of one of the colonies was declared to be in a state of difobedience to all law and government; and to have proceeded to measures fabverfive of the conftitution, and attended with circumftances that manifefted a difpofition to throw off their dependence on Great Britain. The relief to the poor from the late plentiful harveft was then acknowledged; and it was recommended to confider of fuch measures as would prevent a return of the like calamity. And lastly, a spirit of harmony among themselves was warmly recommended, as a conduct that would be attended with the most falutary confequences both abroad and at home. Though the addreffes were carried through in the ufual forms; yet great debates arofe upon different parts of them, and many fevere ftrictures were made upon the conduct of administration, in refpect both to foreign affairs and thofe of the colonies. The dangerous breach of treaty, and vio lation of the general tranquillity by the invafion of Corfica, and the fpreading and baneful influence of the family compact, were particularly infifted on. A total neg lect of our foreign interefts, as well as of thofe in which the general fafety of Europe was concerned, was ftrongly charged; and among among many other inftances, the Injuries fuftained by our commerce in Portugal, and the non-refidence of feveral of our foreign minifters, at the courts to which they were appointed, were brought in proof, Amendments were therefore propofed to the addrefs, in which fome of these points were to be taken notice of. Thefe were however over-ruled, It was faid, that addreffes were to be confidered as matters of form; in a great meafure complimentary, and declarative of loyalty and thanks. That any difagreeable trictures in a form of that nature, which was to be immediately circulated throughout Europe, would give foreigners a prejudicial idea of the harmony that fubfifted between the king and his parlia ment. And that there was fufficient time to examine into the conduct of adminiftration, and to cenfure any exceptional parts of it, in the regular courfe of parliamentary bufinefs. The part of the speech that regarded the colonies, was particularly attended to in the addreffes, and it was declared, that though they fhould be ever ready to redrefs the just complaints of the colonies, they were nevertheless determined to maintain the fupreme authority of the British legislature, over every part of the British empire. Thanks were then given for the measures already taken to fupport the laws in the colonies, and ftrong affurances of their ready concurrence, in every regulation that appeared likely to eftablifh the conftitutional dependence of the Americans. The effects of the late fcarcity, and the neceffary measures to be VOL. XII. purfued to prevent a return of the A petition was delivered the fame day by a member of the houfe, from Mr. Wilkes, reprefentative of the county of Middlefex, now in the king's bench pri fon. This petition, which furnifhed an occafion for the memorable proceedings that followed, contained a recapitulation of all the proceedings against Mr. Wilkes, from the time of his first apprehenfion by a general warrant in April, 1763, to the time of his commit ment to the king's-bench prifon in 1768. The petition' produced an order, for the proper officers to lay before the house, a copy of the records of the proceedings upon the feveral informations in the court of king's bench against Mr. Wilkes. After which, the journals and refolu tions of the houfe upon that subject in the year 1763, being examined, a day was appointed for the hearing of the matter of the petition, and also of the proceedings in the court of king's bench; of which notice was ordered to be given to Mr. Wilkes, and a great number of perfons who were concerned as actors or witneffes in thefe tranfactions, among whom was Mr. Webb, late fecretary to the treasury, and against whom a heavy charge was laid in the petition, were ordered to attend attend the house at the fame time. Some perfons, of great weight in oppofition, from the beginning recommended to the miniftry that this petition fhould be paffed by without notice, and very ftrongly pointed out the mischievous confequences which must attend an enquiry into that fort of matter, to the House at large, and particularly to the minifters themselves. During this interval, fome motions were made upon the fubject, the want of fuccefs in which feemed indicative of the difpofition that prevailed within doors, in regard to the popular prifoner, whofe prefent fituation excited the greatest attention without. Among thefe, it was moved to addrefs his majefty, that the auditor of the impreft fhould lay before the Houfe copies of all fuch accounts as had been paffed, declared, or received, from Philip Carteret Webb, Efq; fince Midfummer 1762, which was paffed in the negative. In the In the mean time, Mr. Webb petitioned for an opportunity to vindicate himfelf at the bar of the House, from the charges that were made againft him; which he was allowed to do, either by himself or his counfel, at the time of hearing the matter of the petition. Application having been alfo made by Mr. Wilkes for liberty to attend the Houfe, in order to fupport the allegations of his petition, it was complied with, and liberty of council allowed him for that purpofe. After thefe previous fteps had been taken, the time for hearing the matter of the Fetition, which had been originally fixed for the 2d of December, was however put off to the 12th of the fame month; after which it was finally adjourned to the 27th of the following January. The oppofition, though divided into two parties, which had totally differed upon fome great political principles, upon the whole, frequently agreed in fentiment, in a diflike to many late measures of administration, and without any apparent pre-concert, or even intercourfe, acted, upon many оссаfions, as if they had been one united party. The principal of these, as to ftrength and number, feems to be that which adhered to the Marquis of Rwho were ftrongly attached to the measures purfued in that adminiftration; and as they had effected the overthrow of the ftamp fyftem, had, upon the fame principles, generally difliked and oppofed the greaeft part of the late measures purfued with regard to America. The other, which was compofed of the friends of Mr. G, though they juftified the general principle of American taxation, were but little difpofed to approve of many of the meafures of the present miniftry, which they confidered not only as ineffectual, but, after the conceffion that had been made, as ill-timed. From this cafual co-incidence of opinion, in many public mat ters, of two formidable parties, whofe leaders had filled the first offices of the ftate, the minifters, though generally engaged under the covert of a strong majority, found, . upon many occafions, their hands fufficiently full, and it was accordingly a very bufy winter. Many leading queftions were propofed, which ftill led to more critical enquiries; and feveral fpirited motions were made, which, if not attended with fuccefs, were, at leaft, fupported with great vigour and ability. X A mo Nov. 17. A motion was made early in the feffion, that copies of all the correfpondence between the fecretaries of ftate, and our minifters at the court of France, relative to the, affairs of Corfica, from the 1ft of January 1767, fhould be laid before the houfe; and alfo copies of all inftructions to any of the faid minifters, and of all memorials and reprefentations to or from the faid court, with the feveral anfwers thereunto, upon the subject. This motion, though carried in the negative, produced a long difcuffion upon the affairs of Corfica., On one fide it was reprefented as a place of no manner of importance; deftitute, though an island, of a good harbour, and an acquifition that would rather prove a mischief than a benefit to France. Under fuch a description, it was not difficult to fhew the abfurdity of entering into a war in any fituation, for an object of fo little confequence; but in our prefent circumftances, loaded as we already are, with a heavy debt, the folly and madnefs of fuch a measure were fo glaring, as not to admit of a ferious difcuffion. It was however faid on the other hand, that every acceflion of power to France was dangerous to this country. That the fituation of this illand in the Mediterranean, made it particularly fo, and may be attended with the most pernicious effects to our commerce in that fea, befides the giving to France a great and dangerous influence in the affairs of Italy. It was faid that England, had paid a conftant attention for many years, to the prefervation of a due equilibrium in the affairs of Europe, to which we are indebted not only for fecurity, but for a great part of our national power and influence. That inftead of defcending to a minute calculation of the exact value of Corfica, or rating it at a chapman's price in a fale to France, we were to confider this invafion as a violent breach of treaty, and fubverfive of that equilibrium. The fact as to the harbours was denied; as to the danger, of a war with France, it was faid, that if she was prepared and willing. to come to fuch an extremity, for matter of no confequence or value, we might look upon the war as already declared, as the want of a pretence could not give a moment's delay. a A motion was made in a few days after, for an addrefs, that there be laid before the Houfe, copies of all applications from the civil magiftrates to the war-office for troops, and of all orders and letters to the troops employed, or to the officers commanding them; and alfo copies of the feveral reports made to the war-office from fuch officers, during the riots in the month of May last. The defign of this motion was too evident, not to be oppofed by the whole weight of adminiftra tion. A warm difcuffion confe quently arofe, in which many parts of the conduct then obferved were. feverely cenfured. Many gentlemen thought, that though in fome inftances fome meafures of government could not easily be defended; yet that in the present temper of the times, too minute an enquiry into the acts of government upon that occafion, or any public cenfure paffed upon them, might ferve too much to lower it in the pub[*E 2] lie |