moft ruinous confequences, in our future connection and intercourfe with foreign fa:es. We should feel them equally in the affairs of war and of peace. It was alfo contended on the fame fide, that this claim had never been rejected by the German commiffioners, as had been reprefented in the debate. It had been only poftponed, they faid, from its being connected with fome other matter, which prevented its being brought with propriety, immediately within their cognizance. They alio af ferted, that it had never lain dormant, and confequently that it was not an old claim newly revived. The claim was never dropped; on the contrary, the demand was regularly kept up, according to the ufual official forms, from the time the debt was incurred, though from various caufes and delays, payment had hitherto been deferred. They concluded by declaring, that it was not brought on in confequence of any ftipulation, and that it did not appertain to any treaty pat or prefent; but that the honour of the nation, founded upon its good faith to all mankind, and particularly to its allies, rendered the payment indifpeníable. The refolution was carried in the committee of fupply upon a divifion, by a majority of 38 to 20. But upon receiving the report next day in the houfe, the debate was renewed with great warmth; and if a few more of the country gentlemen had been in town, the minister would probably have found himfelt in a minority. As it was, the report was agreed to only by a majority of eight, the numbers being 50 to 42, upon a divifion. It was par ticularly obferved, that fome zealous courtiers, and profeffed go. vernment men, avoided voting upon this question. The day after the decifion of this question, Sir James 9th, Lowther, who had lately moved the amendment to the civil lift bill, in favour of the two Royal Brother Dukes, moved for an addrefs to his Majefty, to requeft an augmentation of their annual income. He stated with energy, and defcribed with a real and affecting fympathy, the caufes which led to this motion, and the particular circumftances of fituation, which rendered fuch an addrefs neceffary; circumftances, which were unfortunately fo confpicucus, as to be publickly known in every part of Europe; and which he reprefented, as not les affecting the national character and honour, than the royal dignity. The motion was oppofed upon the ground of propriety, and the previous quellion immediately moved. The difficulty, as well as impropriety, of difcuffing a queftion of fo nice and delicate a complexion, were principally infifted on. It would be breaking in upon the domeftic affairs of the royal family; and venturing to enquire into matters of fo tender a nature, as the con duct obferved, and the tranfactions that paffed in private life, between the Sovereign and his brothers. Thele were, they faid, matters by no means fitting to be brought forward as fubjects of public difcuffion. The Sovereign fhould fhould be entirely left to his own difcretion, and he would undoubtedly act with propriety. It could not but be prefumed, that at a proper time and feafon, he would, befides confulting his own dig nity, give way alfo to the impulfes of nature and affection. But, they faid, it would be in the highest degree indecent, and prefuming beyond the limits of duty and reverence, to pretend to dictate to the throne, either with respect to private family conduct or affairs, or to the difpofal of its own property. paffed before minifters had time to recollect themselves. Some paffages in this fpeech gave, however, great offence at court, and their effect was even faid to be obfervable, at the time and place where they were addreffed. The Speaker not only expatiated largely upon the zeal and affection hewn by the commons, but in giving the greater force to thefe circumstances, he obferved, "that it was in a time "of public diftrefs, full of diff culty and danger, when their conftituents were labouring un"der burdens almost too heavy to be As the motion had the whole weight of the court party to enborne :”—and in difplaying the counter, and that feveral on the liberality of the grants, he used the other fide were not fatisfied as following exprefiions," Have not to its propriety, the previous "only granted to your Majefty a queftion was carried, after a fhort large prefent fupply, but also debate, by a majority of 130 "a very great additional reveto 45, by which the propofition "nue; great beyond example; was laid by without a direct ne- great beyond your Majesty's gative. bigheft expence-But, all this, "Sir, they have done, in a well "grounded confidence, that you "will apply wifely, what they was An unexpected incident upon this occafion, gave rise to another debate, upon new and extraordinary ground, which agitated for feveral hours with great warmth. To explain this matter it will be neceffary to obferve, that on the preceding day but one, upon prefenting the bill for the augmentation of the civil list revenue to receive the royal affent, the Speaker took that occafion of addreffing the throne in a speech, for which, apon their return, he immediately received the unanimous thanks of the houfe, attended with a Compliment of defiring that it might be printed. Thefe thanks, and the motion for printing, were prepared by fome members of the minority, and the vote have granted liberally." The compliment which fucceeded thefe paffages, and clofed the fpeech, was not thought by fome to atone fufficiently for their freedom. The zealous courtiers, and those who affect to be, or are known under the familiar denomination of King's friends, were offended in the highest degree, and confidered fome of thefe expreffions as conveying little lefs than an absolute insult, and others as equally milreprefenting the fenfe of parliament, and the real ftate of the nation. It was accordingly determined to let the Speaker feel his fuppofed error, and that he fhould be rendered fo fully fenfible of their indignation, as that it might operate in preventing any future lapfe of the iame nature. In the fhort debate upon Sir James Lowther's motion, a gentleman high in office, and who has long been diftinguished as a principal leader in a powerful party, arraigned the conduct of the Speaker with unufual vehemence, and the most pointed a crimony, He afferted, that the national fituation had been grofsly misreprefented, in a place, and in the prefence of thole, where nothing but truth fhould be heard. That the fentiments declared at the bar of the other houfe to be those of the commons, were the direct reverse; that they knew better; that for one, he totally difclaimed them; that he was certain a very great majority of the house equally did fo; and, that before the house rofe, he trufted it would be proved, whether they thought with the chair or with him. pushing matters too far; for though they were very well pleased that the Speaker should meet with what they thought a feafonable rebuke, they were not at all difpofed to make any needlefs trial of the temper of the house, by urging the point, in an unprofit able experiment, to a difagreeable and hazardous extremity. They wifhed matters to rest in their prefent ftate, and the Speaker to lie under an implication of cenfure, without its being directly paffed, or brought abfolutely to the queftion. The oppofition were not, however, difpofed that it should be paffed off in that manner. Mr. Fox immediately took the buf nefs up with his ufual spirit and ability. He said that the gentleman had come to the point at once; the charge was open and direct; the Speaker had either misreprefented the fenfe of the house, or he had not; the question was fairly at iffue, and could be decided only by the house. For This charge, as foon as the di- his part, he fufpected the Speaker vilion upon the former queftion had not delivered the fentiments was over, was taken up by the of the majority, although it was Speaker, and his fpeech being evident from their journals, that firt read, he appealed to the he had given the fenfe of the journals for the vote of thanks houfe. He would, however, now, that fucceeded it, to fhew that bring the question to a fair decithe fentiments which he had then fion, by obtaining the fenfe of expreffed, were, at that time, the the houfe upon it; and if the fentiments of the house. The motion he was going to make met gentleman who had made the with a negative, he was of opicharge, now repeated and enforced nion, that the Speaker could not it with fill greater vehemence, any longer fit in that chair with and with additional circumftances reputation to himself, nor be any of heat, and acrimony. It, how- further ferviceable in his ftation, ever, now began to appear pretty after being thus publicly defertevident, that many of thofe gen- ed, bullied, and difgraced. He tlemen on the fame fide with accordingly moved, That the himself, particularly the minifters," Speaker of this houfe, in his grew apprehenfive that he was "Speech to his Majefty at the "bar "bar of the houfe of peers on Wednesday last, and which was "defired by this house, nem. con. "to be printed, did exprefs, with jaft and proper energy, the zeal "of this houfe for the fupport of "the honour and dignity of the "crown, in circumftances of great public charge. The fpeaker declared, with great refolution and firmnefs, that he could not think of continuing in a fituation in which he could be no longer ferviceable, which must evidently be the cafe, if the motion fhould be rejected. That he had wifhed and intended to exprefs the fenfe of the houfe, and imagined he had done fo; that he thought himself fully justified by the time, the occafion, and various concurrent circumftances, which all combined to flamp what he had offered with peculiar propriety. That he ftill conceived he had difcharged his duty, which was conarmed by the public approbation he had received; and he concluded by declaring, that he would not fit longer in that chair than he was in the free exercife of his duty. The gentlemen on the other fide wanted much to get rid of the question, without bringing it to any decifion. They, in general, did not approve of certain paffages in the fpeech; but they did not from thence intend any cenfure upon the Speaker. He might, without the fmalleft blame, have miftaken or miftated the fentiments of the house. Nay, in the hurry and inadvertence of an extempore addrefs, he might, very poffibly, not even have ftated his own exactly. They accord ingly recommended in the most preffing terms to the Speaker, and ftrongly urged the mover and fupporters of the question, to withdraw the motion; and finding that this propofal would not be complied with, they moved for an adjourn ment. But the oppofition were upon this occafion firm and unanimous. The houfe was involved in a dilemma, which they were determined it fhould not get clear of without a decifion. Either it must join them in fupporting the chair, or fubmit to its utmost degradation, and become chargeable at the fame time with the glaring inconfiftency of undoing and reprobating on the Friday, thofe acts' which they had done or applauded on the Wednesday. They infifted, that the fpeech was founded in truth; that it was highly neceffary at this feafon; and that it was delivered with the ftriéteft propriety. Their applaufe of the Speaker for his fpeech was not greater, than for his firmness, in not accepting of any compromife fhort of immediate reparation, notwithstanding the threats and foothings, which, they faid, had been alternately ufed to induce him to recede, and by fo doing, to facrifice equally his own honour, and the dignity of the house. They laughed at the new logic introduced by the oppofers of the motion, who contended that the fpeech was not the fenfe of the house, because, on the very day it was fpoken, the house had declared the most warm and hearty approbation of it. This, they faid, might be a minifterial way of drawing conclufions; but it was certainly a curious curious one; perhaps they had been taught by long experience, that the fenfe of the houfe, as declared by a majority, was not its genuine fenfe. They infifted, that if the motion of adjournment was carried, it would not be fafe for the Speaker to continue a moment longer in his prefent fituation; that he would on all future occafions lie at the mercy of his enemies, and be liable to difgrace whenever he fulfilled his duty, if the faithful discharge of it happened to be contrary to the opinion or liking of thofe, who are able to command a temporary majority temporary majority to overrule acts of unanimity. That the dignity of the houfe was at an end, if the chair was permitted to be degraded; that the prefent blow was ultimately aimed at the houfe through the chair; that it was an experiment made purely to try what pitch of humiliation and difgrace they would bear to be let down to; the attempt of a court faction, to render the reprefentatives of the people defpicable, as well as deteftable, in the eyes of their conftituents. The gentleman who had made the charge, at length conceded in fome degree. He faid he had not a wifh (if it had been even in his power, which it was not in any degree) to drive the Speaker from the chair. He only maintained, which he still would, the right of private opinion, and freedom of speech; of cenfuring what he did not approve, with out regard to perfons; he faid he meant no more from the beginning; and if it was now the fenfe of the houfe, he would readily agree in withdrawing the motion of adjournment. This be ing accordingly done, Mr. Fox's motion was carried without a division, and with the appearance of almost general unanimity. To render the triumph compleat, another gentleman in oppofition moved, that the thanks of the boufe fhould be returned to the Speaker for the difputed fpeech, which was likewife agreed to. A tranfaction of a most extraordinary nature in the Eaft Indies, and which amounted to no less than a revolution, and the total fabverfion of established government in our principal fettlement on the coaft of Coromandel, together with feveral fubfequent proceedings relative to it in Leadenhall-street, were the means of bringing the affairs of the Eaft India company once more within the cognizance of parliament. It may appear almoft needless to make any obfervation upon the difficulty of coming at the bare and undisguised truth, in the violence of faction, and amidit the rage of contending parties, even when their fphere of action is confined to our own country, and that their operations appear almost to be within our perfonal obfervation. If fuch be the cafe at home, how must the difficulty increase, when the scene of action is laid in the remoteft parts of the globe, from whence no difinterested evidence can be obtained, where every native of thefe countries is under a neceffity of chufing his fide, and of courfe imbibing, in a greater or leffer degree, the violence, prejudices, and animofity of his party; whilft the only indifferent fpectators, if any, are ftrangers, who cannot understand the fub jea |