THE LONDON MAGAZINE, ENLARGED AND IMPROVED, FOR FEBRUARY, 1785. THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE SIXTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF GREAT-BRITAIN. T Begun and holden at Westminster, on the 25th of January, 1785. HOUSE OF LORDS. Wednesday, January 26. HE Lord Steward acquainted the House, that the lords with white ftaves had waited on his Majesty, to know when he would be attended by this House with their address of thanks, and his Majesty was pleased to appoint this day at two o'clock, at St. James's. The Lord Chancellor, attended by feveral of their lordships, went accordingly, and presented the following: The humble Address of the Right Honourable the Lords spiritual and temporal, in parliament assembled. Die Martis, 25° Januarii, 1785. "Moft Gracious Sovereign, WE, your Majesty's most du tiful and loyal subjects, the Lords fpiritual and temporal, in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your Majetty our humble thanks for your Majesty's most gracious speech from the throne. " Permit us to express to your -Majesty our most grateful fenfe of your Majesty's regard for our private convenience in not commanding from us an earlier attendance in parliament. Your Majesty may rely on our faithful and diligent exertions in every part of our duty; and, truly fenfible of the importance of the object, we beg leave to afsure your Majesty, that it is our determination to give our immediate attention to the adjustment of fuch points in the commercial intercourse between Great-Britain and IreLOND. MAG. Feb. 1785. land as are not yet finally arranged; trusting that fuch a system may be formed as may beft enfure the profperity of both kingdoms, by clofely uniting them upon principles of reciprocal advantage. "We defire to return to your Majesty our warmest thanks for your gracious communication of the affurances which your Majesty continues to receive of the good difpofition of foreign powers towards this country, notwithstanding the differences which appear to prevail upon the continent. "The information your Majesty is pleased to give us of the fuccess which has attended the measures taken in the last feffion for the fuppreffion of smuggling, and for the improvement of the revenue, affords us the greatest fatisfaction: and your Majesty may be afsured, that we will apply ourselves with unremitted attention to points of such great concern to the profperity of this country, and that we will take into our early confideration the matters suggested in the several reports of the commiffioners of public accounts, as well as fuch further regulations as may appear to be necessary in the public offices of the kingdom. 66 From the experience we have had of your Majesty's paternal regard for the interests of all your subjects, we beg leave humbly to express to your Majesty our fullest confidence in the gracious affurance of your Majefty's hearty concurrence in every measure which may tend to alleviate the national L " I Return you thanks for this dutiful and affectionate address. "Nothing can give me more fatisfaction, than your affurance that you will immediately enter into the confideration of the matters which I have laid before you. You may depend upon the utmoft care and attention, on my part, to fettle every thing which concerns the interest of my kingdoms upon a folid and durable foundation." Their lordships having returned, and reported his Majesty's answer, they appointed the Lord Bishop of Bristol to preach before them in WestminsterAbbey, on the next Monday, being the day observed as the martyrdom of King Charles the Firfo HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE usual orders and forms of the House were issued. Appointed a committee of privileges and elections. Report was made from the committee appointed yesterday to draw up an address of thanks, that an address was drawn up, which was again read and agreed to; and that such members as are privy counsellors do wait on his Majefty, to know when he will be attended therewith. Received and read a petition for bringing in a bill for employing the poor at Exeter, which was referred to a committee. Wednesday, February 2. Colonel Fitzpatrick informed the House, he then held a petition from the independent electors of Westminster, complaining of the complicated hardships which they at present endure, from remaining a second seffion unrepresented; previous to the petition's being read, he earnestly wished to caution the House against taking any of, fence at the expressions which the pe titioners had adopted to convey their sentiments, as he could with confidence affert, that nothing like reproach or infult was intended, that the language was nothing more than such as feemed to them most expreffive of their sufferings. He then moved, that the petition be read, which was agreed to; and the following is a copy thereof, verbatim: "To the honourable the Commons of Great-Britain, in parliament assembled. "The humble petition of the several perSons whose names are hereunto fubScribed, electors of the city and liberty of Westminster, on behalf of themselves, and many other electors of the faid city and liberty, Sherweth, "THAT notwithstanding the parliament is now assembled in its fecond session, after a long recess, the city of Westminster, equally to the surprise and concern of your petition. ers, is still without any reprefentatives in parliament. "That, at the opening of the present parliament, after the electors of Westminster, according to the exigency of the King's writ for meeting his people in parliament on the 18th day of May last, and conformably to law and ancient usage, had duly chofen two citizens to represent the fame, the faid electors were, by an act equally illegal and unprecedented, deprived of their just and valuable right to a share in the legislation of their country through their representatives, chosen into the Commons House of parliament; the high bailiff of Westminster, though folemnly called upon, having refused to make any return of citizens to serve in parliament for the faid city. "That your petitioners, impreffed with a high fenfe of the value of that branch of the legislature, which they have been taught to confider as the natural guardian of the rights of the people, from whom it derives its power, and to whom it is accountable for the execution of the trust, could not behold without great indignation an attempt so insulting to the dignity of parliament, parliament, which has been thereby rendered maimed and incomplete in its construction, as well in direct contradiction to the King's writ of fummons for meeting his people in a full parliament, as to the manifest degradation of the character and importance of that august assembly. Nor can your petitioners, confiftently with their duty to themselves, with a just regard to the common rights of their fellowsubjects, and what they owe to their pofterity, omit any proper occafion to express their honest sentiments; and still as free men, though deprived of the sacred diftinction which makes men free, prefer their just complaints against a proceeding so unprecented in the annals of parliament, so full of danger in its example, and which is not more a grievous injury to the interests and privileges of the citizens of Weftminster, than utterly subversive of the rights of the whole constituent body of this country. "That the falutary wisdom and honest vigilance of the House of Commons to check the progress of corruption, and to guard against the influence of the minifters of the crown, in the elections of members to serve in parliament, will have become altogether fruitless, if it may happen, that after electors shall have withstood every unconstitutional attempt to dictate particular persons to their choice, and shall have exercised their fuffrages freely and independently, a new and extraordinary device may be reforted to, by means of which it may be in the power of those who have, or who by fecret and corrupt management may obtain an undue influence over a returning officer, to exclude from parliament, and to fubject to an expence which might be ruinous to the most ample fortune, under the pretence of a fcrutiny, any person, the exertion of whose abilities may be peculiarly necessary to the interests of his country, but whose attachment to the true principles of the constitution may have rendered him an object of extraordinary perfecution. "That there never was a period in which the prefence and affistance of its members in parliament was more essential to the peace and profperity of the city of Westminster. That, during the last feffion of parliament, beside many important regulations of trade and revenue, várious new and burthensome taxes, to the amount of near a million per annum, were impofed on the nation, a very confiderable part whereof hath been, and must continue to be paid by this city. "That your petitioners have always understood it to be a fundamental principle in the constitution of this government, that the money of the subject could not be taken without his confent; a pofition which would have more found than fenfe or meaning, if the opportunity of giving their voices in the grant of money could be withholden from those places which are invested with the privilege of fending members to parliament. This dear and inestimable privilege, however it may have been disregarded in the impofition of the late taxes upon the city of Westminfter, when they had no opportunity of giving or withholding their confent, your petitioners yet CLAIM, and INSIST UPON, as their indubitable right, and the heavy grievance of which they complain will indeed be severely aggravated, if fuffered to remain during any further part of the prefent most important feffion of parliament, in which objects of the deepeft concernment to all his Majesty's fubjects, and peculiarly interesting to those in whom the rights of representation are vested, have been announced to be brought forward under a folemn call, for the strict attendance of all the reprefentatives of the people. "That the neceffity for regulating and amending the police of the city of Westminster is universally felt, and loudly calls for immediate attention, and to whom, in this, as in all other parliamentary business in which the citizens of Westminster are particularly interested, is it natural for them to look to for counsel and afsistance, but to those whom they have chosen to reprefent them in parlia ment? L2 "That 1 "That your petitioners are advised, and have heard with great fatisfaction, that efficacious measures are likely to be propofed early in the present fefsion of parliament, under the aufpices of one of the most confidential fervants of the crown, to meliorate the present defective ftate of the representation of the united kingdom. But your petitioners humbly prefume to suggest, that it will appear but little confiftent with profeffions of future purity and reform in the representation of the Commons, to fuffer the actual and fubfifting representation to remain curtailed and imperfect, even according to its present form, and to permit with filence and impunity a deep and dangerous wound to be given to those first principles of the constitution, upon which alone a free and independent parliament can be founded; and your petitioners cannot but deem it an unfortunate cafualty, that at a time when other bodies of men are entertaining the most tanguine expectations of the extenfion and security of their inherent and dearest rights, the city of Westminster should, without any act of delinquency even alledged, be fuffering the penalties of actual disfranchisement. And your petitioners are more forcibly led to this confideration, by reflecting that the reprefentation of Westminster is not merely nominal and unsubstantial, like that of boroughs, where there are few electors, or where, under the appearance of an election, an hereditary right to a feat is preferved in a family, or affigned at pleafure (an evil which your petitioners humbly prefume will be a main object of attention in the proposed reform) but involves in it the dearest interests, and most important concerns of many thousand citizens, inhabitants of this extenfive, populous, and flourishing city. "That the fcrutiny, which is still carrying on in the city of Westminster, hath lasted for a period of nearly eight months; and that, judging by the progrefs already made, it appears extremely probable, that should it proceed with the fame pace (and your petitioners do not understand that any complaint hath been made of undue delay) the present parliament may be advanced to its last session by the time the high bailiff has decided on his poll. "That your petitioners are well informed, that every prediction of the futility, infignificance, expence, and injustice, which must attend the proceedings of fuch a court hath been abundantly verified by the event. But your petitioners forbear any detail of the progress or confequences of a measure, the origin and principle of which they folemnly protest against, as CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT AND PRACTICE OF THE CONSTITUTION, TO THE PLAINEST PROVISIONS BOTH OF COMMON AND STATUTE LAW, AND TO THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF THE ELECTORS OF GREAT-BRITAIN. For the fame reafon your petitioners forbear to meddle with the motives, reafons, or imaginations alledged by the high bailiff of Westminster, in defence of his conduct, or with the claims and pretenfions of the respective. candidates. But your petitioners do humbly pray that this honourable House will immediately take fuch measures as shall restore the city of Westminster to its undoubted right of having its representatives in parliament, there being no further or other relief fuited to the nature of the injury complained of in the premisses, or which can be fatisfactory to your petitioners." 'The petition was ordered to lie on the table. Mr. Burke moved that the claufe relative to India, of the 18th of June, 1782, be now read from the journal. Mr. Pitt reminded the right honourable gentleman, that the order of the day itood for a committee of fupply, and that the introduction of any new motion was perfectly irregular and improper; therefore, in his opinion, the order of the day should precede all others, as entering on any motion previoufly would moft undoubtedly not only interfere with, but totally derange the whole of the business of the prefent feffion; however, if the right honourable gentleman would explain his motion for having the clause alluded to read, he should then be enabled either to give his affent, or ad vance his positive objections. If it ters of grievance should undoubtedly was to be grounds for a new motion, he confefsed he felt himself completely justified in oppofing it; but that if it was merely for the purpose of giving notice of a motion, which could be done without even the delay of reading this particular clause, it certainly would have his concurrence. He begged of the right honourable gentleman, if it was for the latter purpose, he would avoid prolixity as much as possible, as any impediment to the progreffion of public business at this period would be productive of material inconvenience before the termination of the feffion. Mr. Burke objected to the first pofition laid down by the right honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that " the business of fupply should precede all others:" he was, from his experience in parliament, enabled to inform him, that matters of grievance should ever precede the question of fupply; that the right honourable gentleman seemed very forward in predetermining against his motions, but that, notwithstanding the very marked expreffions of irregularity and impropriety, he was convinced he was perfectly justified in fupporting his present motion, as that clause which he alluded to tended to explain a matter of grievance, in the explanation of which he had no doubt but the right honourable gentleman would think him prolix; it was rather extraordinary, he confefsed, that he should not be permitted to explain his motives previous to a condemnation; and as to the epithet prolixity, which the right honourable gentleman thought proper to affix to him, he could not understand it. His intention for making the present motion was, in order to prove to the House the grounds for his present notice of a motion, that the right honourable chancellor would perhaps find great reafon to condemn for prolixity. Mr. Fox declared he understood that it had been the ufage of former parliaments to make the matter of supply take place of all other: but that within his parliamentary experience, the custom had been different, which difference he highly approved of, as mat precede all others. That as to the ideal objections which the right honourable Chancellor of the Exchequer thought proper to start to his honourable friend's motion, they appeared to him nugatory; the intention of his friend appeared to him merely calculated to apprise the House of the fubject of his intended motion in the usual form. That as to the word prolixity, he confefsed he could not fee how it could poffibly apply in the present instance; the motion bore an appearance the direct oppofite to prolixity, as the clause alluded to would be perfectly expressive of the fubject his right honourable friend wished to fubmit to the confideration of the House; he confefsed, in his opinion, had the motion received no interruption from the right honourable Chancellor, it would have long fince been difpofed of to the fatisfaction of the House; and that feeling a conviction of its neceffity, it should have his utmost support. Mr. Burke declared, his intention was to give notice of his motion in the usual parliamentary form; he saw an urgent neceffity for fuch a motion, as he was very credibly informed that Sir Elijah Impey was at this time preparing for his return to India, with the approbation of government, in open violation and contempt of the resolution of that House, as would appear from the clause alluded to being read. The clause was accordingly read, setting forth Sir Elijah Impey's recall from his judicial capacity in India. Mr. Burke appealed to the House, to know if this did not convey clearly his intention in bringing forward the motion. He gloried in the opportunity of laying open to the House, and the nation in general, that vast scene of rapine, violence, and corruption that pervaded the whole of the tranfactions in India; so much corruption for fo short a time, he ventured to affirm, was unparalleled in the annals of all ancient and modern hiftory whatsoever; there were, he said, agents in this town, who carried on correfpondence with India (with Mr. Haftings) the subject of which the court of directors were unacquainted |