the prevention of thofe crimes, by correcting the prevailing vices of the times, earnestly recommended.

The liberality with which the rights and commerce of Ireland had been established was highly extolled; a revifion of our whole trading fyftem upon the fame comprehenfive principles was recommended; and, laftly, fome fundamental regulation of our Afiatic territories was earneftly called for.

A general profeffion of regard to the conftitution, and a promise on all occafions to advance and reward merit in every profeffion, were held forth at the conclufion; at the fame time, temper, wifdom, and difinterestednefs in parliament, collectively and individually, were reprefented as neceffary, to enfure the full advantage of a government conducted on fuch principles. It ended with telling both houfes, that the people expected thefe qualifications of them, and that his Majefty called for them.

An addrefs in the ufual ftyle was moved in both houfes of parfiament, and carried, nemine contradicente, after a long and defultory converfation. It was remarked, that the friends of adminiftration begun thus early to lay the groundwork for the defence of the peace, the merits of which would neceffarily become the fubject of parliamentary difcuffion, by expatiating on the miferies and viciffitudes of war, by lamenting the hazardous ftate of public credit, and by depreciating the importance of the late fucceffes Thefe, it was faid, though brilliant, were not likely to be followed by any folid advantage that could either compeniate the calamities of war, or

balance the enormous expence that muft neceffarily attend the further profecution of it.

In the House of Commons a young member, fuppofed on this occafion to be in the confidence of adminiftration, made fome pointed allufions to the ceffion of Gibraltar, with a view, as was imagined, of difcovering in what manner such a measure would be received by the house. The alarm and diffatisfaction which this intimation fpread was very confiderable; and as it was generally believed that the minifter was at this time treating with the court of Spain for the exchange of that important fortress, it is probable that he was deterred from his purpose by the declaration of feveral members of great weight in the houfe, that they confidered it as a poffeffion almost invaluable to this country.

But though the addreffes were voted without a diffentient voice, and even without any amendment being propofed, yet the fpeech did not efcape a most severe examination. The three first paragraphs were objected to, as conveying a falfe and injurious imputation on the members of the late cabinet, that orders for putting an end to offenfive war in North America had not been iffued till after the recefs of parliament. Mr. Fox took this occafion to enter into a minute explanation of the cause of his retiring from the cabinet. Some time before his refignation, he said that he had written, by the king's orders, to Mr. Grenville, then at Paris, to authorize him to offer to the American agents, to re" cognize the independence of the "United States in the firft inftance,

and

fibility of acting otherwife, were all overlooked, in order to charge it upon that houfe alone. It was. in fact, to make his majefty fay, that he did it again ft wifdom, against good fenfe, against policy, against neceffity, in conftrained obedience to the advice of an ill-judging House of Commons. It was asked, what minifters meant by making the king fay, that he had confiderations of his own, separate from the wishes and opinion of his people? Such language, it was faid, was as new, as it was improper and unconftitutional. The prayer which follows was equally condemned, as a piece of unfeasonable, unmeaning, and hypocritical cant, played off at the expence of parliament. Much furprife was alfo expreffed, at finding benevolences praifed in a fpeech, the production of a cabinet, in which fat a learned lord, who, when a commoner, had in that very house moved a refolution that fuch benevolences were illegal.

"and not to referve it as a condition of "peace." At the fame time an official letter, for the fame purpofe, was fent by the Earl of Shelburne to Sir Cuy Carlton in America. Mr. Fox fufpecting that this meafure, though confented to in the cabinet, had not the entire approbation of fome of his colleagues, had, in order to prevent any mifconception, purpofely chofen the moft forcible expreffions that the English language could fupply; and he confeffed that his joy was fo great, on finding that the Earl of Shelburne, in the letter to Sir Guy Carleton, had repeated his very words, that he carried it immediately to the Marquis of Rockingham, and told him that their diftruft and fufpicions of that noble lord's intentions had been groundlefs, and were now done away"Judge then," faid he, " of my grief and aftonishment, when, during the illness of my noble friend, another language was heard in the cabinet, and the noble earl and his friends began to confider the above letters as containing offers only of a conditional nature, to be recalled, if not accepted as the price of peace. Finding myfelf thus enfnared and betrayed, and all confidence deftroyed, I quitted a fituation in which I found I could not remain either with honour or fafety."

The next paragraph of the fpeech was condemned with great feverity, as an infidious and unmanly attempt to throw all the blame of the difmemberment of the empire on parliament. The calamities of the war, it was faid, were not taken into the account; the circumftances of the country, and the impof

Lord Afhburton.

The call for wifdom, in the concluding paragraph, was ridiculed with infinite humour: and the call for difintereftedness reprefented as an audacious infult on parliament. The folly and dangerous tendency of thefe and other parts of the fpeech were expofed withuncommon ability by a right honourable gentlemant, whofe fpeeches in this debate were greatly diftinguifhed by a happy mixture of the moft brilliant wit and pointed argument. He concluded with declaring, that he confidered the whole as a compound of hypocrify, felf-commendation, duplicity, and abfurdity; abounded with principles of a dangerous and uncon

† Mr. Burke.

ftitutional

ftitutional nature, which, if unanimity was not so abfolutely neceffary at the prefent crifis, parliament would have been bound to have reprobated in the most exemplary

manner.

In the upper house, the conver'fation principally turned on that part of the fpeech which related to America. The irrevocable and unconditional recognition of the independence of the United States, was condemned in the fevereft terms by a noble viscount, who had held a high office in a former adminiftration*. It was well known, he said, that the French themselves bad at different times declared, that they did not think it poffible to wreft all the thirteen provinces from Great Britain; and yet an unqualified furrender was made of the whole, without obtaining a truce, or even a ceffation of hoftilities, as the price of fo lavish a conceffion. In the most abject and unfortunate reign that Spain ever knew (that of Philip III.) the negotiators of that prince retained ten out of feventeen of the revolted provinces, and detached the reft from their alliance with France. An act of indemnity and oblivion in favour of its partizans, was at leaft what the conceding party was bound by faith and juilice to procure. But here no ftipulations whatever had been made, fo far as could be collected from the king's fpeech, in favour of those wretched men who had hazarded their lives and facrificed their fortunes to their attachment to te mother country.

The legality of the recognition of American independance, was

alfo queftioned; and it was abfolutely denied, that the fenfe either of parliament or of the people had been collected on that fubject.

In reply to this attack, the first lord of the treafury denied, that the offer of independance was irrevocable; the words of the speech, he faid, clearly proved it was conditional; and if fair and equal terms could not be obtained from France, the ally of America, the offer might be withdrawn, and would ceafe and determine.

On the following day, Dec. 6th. when the report from the committee of the House of Commons appointed to draw up the addrefs was read, feveral members got up to exprefs their uneafiness at the explication given in the other houfe by the minifter, of that paragraph of the fpeech which announced the provifional treaty with America; the unanimity, they faid, with which the motion for an addrefs had been fuffered to pafs, arofe from a perfuafion that the independence of the colonies was recognized irrevocably; fo that though the treaty negotiating with the court of France thould not terminate in a peace, yet the provifional treaty would remain in full force, to take place whenever the former event thould happen. His majefty's fervants were therefore called upon to clear up thefe doubts, and fatisfy the minds of fuch as were of opinion that the unconditional recognition of independence, by making it the intereft of America to put an end to the war as fpeedily as poffible, would tend effentially to accelerate a general peace. In confequence of this ap

peal,

gotiations of this fort, he would advife them to go the king at once, and tell him that they were tired of the monarchical establishment, that they meant to do the bufinefs of the crown themselves, and had no farther occafion for his fervices. No man, he added, could be more anxious than himself to have the world know what he had done, and to receive the judgment of parliament and of the people of England upon his proceedings; and that for this purpofe, fo foon as prudence and policy fhould warrant, he would not lofe a moment in laying the treaty before them. With refpect to the affertion that had fo frequently been made, that no mifchief would arife from giving the anfwer required, he faid it was a little extraordinary that thofe who knew not what the treaty was, fhould be fo pofitive in declaring there could be no fecrets in it, whilft thofe who did know its contents as pofitively afferted there were.

On the 16th Mr. Fox

Dec. 16th. gave notice of his in

tention to move, on the first convenient day, for the provifional treaty to be laid before the houfe, or fuch parts of it as related to the recognition of American independence. At the fame time, as a proof that he had no defign to embarrals government, or throw any impediment in the way of the minifter's negotiations, he declared. that if the fecretary of state would pledge himself to the house, that the treaty in queftion contained particulars, which, if difcovered earlier than the moment minifters might choose for laying it before parliament, would be attended with mischievous confequences, and

materially affect the negotiations then carrying on, he would defift from his purpose altogether. The minifter refufing to pledge himself in the manner propofed, Mr. Fox made the following motion on the 18th.

18th.

"That an humble ad"drefs be prefented to his majefty that he will be graciously pleafed to give directions that "there be laid before this house "copies of fuch parts of the pro"vifional articles as relate to the "independence of America."

The motion was oppofed by the minifters and their friends, as both unfeafonable and unneceffary. The moment of negotiation was faid to be of all others that in which parliament ought to place confidence in minifters, and to abstain from interfering by its advice in meafures, with the delicate fituation of which it muft neceffarily be unacquainted. Whatever conftruc tion the treaty might bear, whatever contrariety of opinions might be entertained refpecting it, it was figned, and could not be altered; and, what was most material, had given perfect fatisfaction to the party that had accepted it. The mifchiefs that might arife from difcuffing fubjects of this nature in the houfe were strongly infifted on; and the minifters were advised to keep a total filence with refpect to the matter in debate.

Thefe objections were fupport ed by Lord North in a speech full of irony and farcaftic obfervation. He faid he entirely approved of the advice that had been given to mi nifters to keep filent, but withed the injunction had been laid upon them a little earlier; much trouble would then haye been fayed, much

unfea