feafon and condition, to fupply the deficiency in the bat poffible manner. Such judicious measures, it was faid, were now, however, purfued, as would prevent all complaints of this nature, and provide for every future contingency. On the other fide, the rapacity of the Prince of Heffe was condemned in the ftrongest terms, and the payment of his unjust and exorbitant demand, reprefented as a molt fhameful profufion and waste of the public treafure. Why was not this levy money fettled at the time of making the treaty? or why was an imperfect treaty brought to obtain a partial fanction from parliament ? The treaty of 1755, hould govern both parties; or govern neither. The Landgrave hould either abide by that, or by the other of 1775: If by the former, let him take it with all its fpecial conditions, with its levymoney, aud fingle fubfidy; if by the latter, let him have his double fubfidy, but no levy-money. But to make a new bargain, to give bim feveral fingular benefits and advantages, which were not fo much as thought of in the old treaty; and after the most full and perfect ratification of the new, to fuffer him then to pick and cull every thing out of both the trea ties, which tended to his own advantage, and to filling of his coffers, was declared, in very strong terms, to be fuch a breach of public trust and ministerial duty, as would, even within very late years, have drawn upon the authors, the moft decided and unequivocal marks of parliamentary indignation and resentment. The embarrassment of the court, arifing from the heavy load of debt which had been accumulated on the civil lift establishment fince the year 1769, had been long publicly known; and the confequent diftreffes of that very numerous body of people, who are dependent on, or in fome way connected with it, were fo notorious, and in many intances fo grievous, that this matter feemed in fome degree to become reproachful to the nation, as well as difgraceful to royalty. An application to parliament on this fubject, had accordingly been expected during the two preceding fellions; but the unhappy fate of public affairs, and the vaft and continual calls upon the national treasure for the fupport of the American war, were fuch discouraging circumstances to the Minifters, as to refrain, if not overcome their zeal, fo that they had not hitherto been able to fummon refolution fufficient for making the demand. Although no very flattering change had yet taken place in the appearance of public affairs, and that the public expences were every day becoming more enormous, the neceffity became at length too mighty to be contended with, and all other confiderations were obliged to give way to the prefent urgency. The Minister in the House of Commons, though fcarcely recovered from a fevere illness, was accordingly obliged to undertake a tafk, which would at any time have been fufficiently difagreeable, but which in the prefent circumftances of public affairs was peculiarly irkfome. He delivered a meffage from the throne, in which Apr. 9th. much concern was expreffed by the [E] 4 Sovereign Sovereign at being obliged to acquaint them with the difficulties he laboured under, from debts incurred by the expences of the household, and of the civil government, which amounted on the 5th of the preceding January to upwards of 600,000 1. That he relied on the loyalty and affection of his faithful commons, of which he had received fo many fignal proofs, for enabling him to difcharge this debt, and that they would at the fame time make fome further provifion for the better fupport of his household, and of the honour and dignity of the crown. The meffage was attended with a number of papers, containing various accounts of the expenditure, and a comparative ftatement of the whole amount of the prefent civil lift establishment from the year 1760, with that of the produce of the former revenues which had been appropriated to that service during the fame period; the former being intended to explain the caufes of excels in the expenditure, and the latter to fhew, that the crown had been a lofer by the bargain which it then made with parliament. A motion was then made, and carried after fome debate, that the meffage fhould, on that day week, be referred to the confideration of the committee of fupply. On the adjourned day for 16th. taking the meffage into confideration by the committee of fupply, a motion was made by Lord John Cavendish, that the order of reference of the 9th inftant might be discharged. The view of this motion was, that inftead of carrying the queftion directly into the committee of fup ply, there to determine at once by a vote, whether provifion fhould be made for fupplying the whole demands, the accounts of the expenditure, the causes of the excess, the means of preventing it in future, and the propriety of complying in the whole or in part with the requifitions, fhould first be examined accurately, and confidered with due deliberation, in a committee of the whole houfe. This motion accordingly, which was in effect, whether the Speaker fhould leave the chair, brought out the whole force of debate, which was long and ably fupported, moft of the confiderable fpeakers on both fides having diftinguished themfelves in its courfe. Though the oppofition were united in fupport of the motion, they did not totally correfpond in fentiment as to the original ground of debate. One part being willing to difcharge the prefent debt, as a matter of unavoidable neceffity which could not be remedied, were, however, totally averse to any future augmentation whatever of the revenue; whilft the other equally oppofed both, until the whole businefs had undergone a full parliamentary difcuffion, when, they infifted, that the prefent revenue would be found fully fufficient for all its fair and conftitutional purpofes. The debate being fupported with great vigour till paft 10 o'clock at night, the motion was at length rejected upon a divifion, by a majority of 281, to 114. The house being then refolved into a committee of supply, paffed two refolutions to the following purport, viz. That the fum of 618,3401. fhould be granted to enable his Majesty to to pay the debts incurred by the expences of his household, and of his civil government, on the 5th of January laft. And, That the fum of 100,000l. a year, over and above the fum of 800,000l. be granted, as a further provifion for the better fupport of his Majefty's household, and of the honour and dignity of the crown. The gentlemen of the minority ftrongly opposed this vote. Their oppofition, they faid, was founded upon the pureft principles of patriotism, which equally included a due attention to the ability, the burthens, and the profperity of the people, with the most perfect and liberal regard for the honour, happiness, and real interefts of the Sovereign. But they contended, that a compliance with the prefent application, in the extent and manner which was fought by the Minifters and their adherents, would be equally an act of treachery to the Prince and to the people, and a moft fhameful facrifice of their respective interests For whilft they lamented the diftreffes to which the Sovereign had been reduced, the milery thereby brought upon great numbers of individuals, and the circumftances of degradation attending fo unhappy a fituation, they charged all these mifchiefs to the unbounded and fcandalous profufion of the Minifters, and infifted, without referve, or admitting of a doubt, that the prefent revenue was not only fully fufficient to answer all the fair and honeft purposes of government under the restriction of a prudent œconomy, but abundantly to fupport the grandeur, fplendour, and magnificence of the crown, in a manner equal to its own digni ty, and to the greatnefs even of this nation in its happieft æra. But instead of being dedicated to thefe royal and national objects for which it had been granted, it was applied, they faid, to the most fatal purpofes, whilft a great Monarch was reduced to firaits which would have been difgraceful to a private gentleman, and the luftre of the crown was obfcured and tarnifhed, in a manner before unknown in this country. They faid, that it was too manifeft to admit of any difcuffion, that the debt had been incurred in carrying on and fupporting a fyftem of corruption; that there was no man of any party, who was at all acquainted with public affairs, who had not an internal conviction, that the royal revenues were fquandered in obtaining that baneful and unbounded influence, which fwept every thing before it; which had already brought the nation to the brink of ruin; and which had deprived us in a very great measure of all the benefits derived from a limited government. It was true, that the conftitution was not now alarmed as heretofore, by the harsh and flern voice of prerogative; but the danger was now much greater; the foe was covert, filent, aud infidious; and his operations, though flower, were much more certain. They were therefore called upon, they faid, by their allegiance as well as patriotifm, by every tie of public and private duty, by a due attention to appearances, as well as to the prefervation of their integrity, to their perfonal honour as men, and their aggregate, as bodies of the legislature, to reftrain, instead of augmenting the means means of corruption, and to prevent Ministers, under any name, or any pretence, from obtaining the difpofal of fuch a permanent revenue, as would render them either independent of parliament, or, (which would be equally pernicious) enable them to establish fuch an influence, as might virtually prefcribe its duties, or controul its operations. They did not want, they faid, to restrain the Sovereign within the limits of a narrow ceconomy; on the contrary, they wished that the King of Great Britain fhould be great, fplendid, magnificent, and generous. If he had not already had the means for thofe purpofes, they would mot willingly have concurred in affording them. They were too much interested in his honour and happiness, in the dignity of the throne which he filled, and the luftre and fplendour of the crown, to hefitate at any meafures which were neceffary for their fupport or increase, and not to feel the greatest pain, in obferving the fhameful manner in which for feveral years they had been facrificed. The enquiries which they propofed would lay open the fources of all thofe evils which were complained of, and no doubt could then be entertained of the application of effectual remedies; whereas a blind compliance with the terms of the meffage would not only nourish the diforder for the prefent, but afford an inexhauftible fupply for its future fup. port. That the debts of the crown had not long before been difcharged without account. natural confequence has enfued. Another and a larger demand is made. A vaft annual increafe is The then afked, concurrently with the payment of an enormous debt, and not even the wretched fecurity of a minifterial promife given, that new debts will not be contracted, and new augmentations demanded. Such being the avowed principles upon which the oppofition was founded, the debates of course turned principally upon the nature of the accounts before them, the caufes of excefs in the expenditure, the fufficiency of the prefent revenue for its purposes, and the questions arifing upon a fuppofition, that the crown had facrificed its immediate interefts in favour of the public, by accepting a certain revenue of 800,000l. a year, in the place of the appropriated duties, the produce of which, it was contended, had amounted to a much greater fum in the time that intervened fince that period; from whence it was inferred, that the crown had acquired an equitable claim, as well for the difcharge of its former debt in the year 1769, as for the fupply of its prefent demands. Much collateral matter was of course introduced in the dif cuffions which arofe under these general heads. The infufficiency, defigned obfcurity, and total lack of information, which were charged to the accounts by the oppofition, afforded a boundless field for animadverfion, and much fcope for argument, to fhew the propriety and neceffity, if they wifhed to understand any thing of the fubject, to discharge the order of reference to the committee of supply, and difpofe themfelves into a committe of enquiry, in order if poffible to develope and throw fome light upon that chaos of confusion and dark pels nefs which was now laid before the Chamber, and the Mafter of them. The accounts, they faid, carried the fulleft conviction, that they were fabricated to perplex, not to inform; that the facts, which under their title they were bound to difclofe, could not bear the light; and that a great and royal revenue was íquandered in fo fhameful a manner, and applied to fuch pernicious purposes, that the Minifters dared not to avow its disposal, nor venture to commit fo dangerous a knowledge to the public. They were unaccompanied by any voucher, by any collateral, or explanatory obfervation that could give them even that colour of authenticity, which was fitting for their appearance before parliament, or to render them worthy of its attention. Every man of bufinefs knew, that accounts with out vouchers were in fact no agcounts. Would fuch be admitted in the ftatement or fettlement of any merchant's affairs? would they be allowed in any court of justice or equity? Thofe before them ftated certain fums, iffued under certain enumerated heads, without the fmalleft mention to whom they were paid, or to what purpofe applied. The only facts to be gathered from them, were a great expenditure, and a great deficiency of provifion; fo that the prefent voluminous detail would have been full as intelligible if it had been given in the grois, and the whole of the one, with the total of the other, ftruck off in two lines. The conduct of fome of the court departments was feverely reprehended. The Deputy Auditor of the Exchequer, the Treasurer of the Horse, when the account of the expenditure in their respective offices is demanded, return for anfwer, faid they, that they have no materials for that purpose, and that it is impoffible for them to make up any fuch accounts as are required. This they reprefented as a flight and contempt of the houfe, which was equally unprecedented and unpardonable; but however their prefent difpofition might be to overlock fuch treatment, and however a knowledge of that difpofition was the means of producing it, this conduct they confidered as eftablishing one incontrovertible fact, that it had been originally determined to keep them totally in the dark, and that no fair account, nor fatisfactory information, fhould ever come before them. That fome of the accounts which had been produced, and were calculated to deceive the people into an opinion, that the crown had conferred a great favour, and was a great lofer, by its bargain with the public in the year 1760, were furnished with other properties, which were fo far more culpable, as an immediate attempt of impofition by over-reaching the understanding is more criminal, than a modeft or timid attempt to conceal past misconduct or profligacy. In the estimate of the amount of (what was mot improperly called) the hereditary revenue, or properly the appropriated duties, for the laft fixteen years, compared with that of the actual civil list revenue, a great furplaf age is ftated, and reprefented as fo much lofs to the crown by refigning the former, although in fact, the |