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and dismay throughout the country. Lord Mulgrave exprefled his earnest and anxious wifes to the fame effect; fince the motion tended to throw an air of greater folemnity on the occation than it required. The earl of Clare deprecated the idea of a call, as well as a premature difcuffion of a fubject which had been more than once alluded to, and which was of fo extremely delicate a nature, and, at the fame times, of fuch magnitude, that it ought not even to have been alluded to before it came regularly under confideration. Before that delicate fabject should be brought under difcuflion, he would advise noble lords to take advantage of the union that had recently taken place, and make ufe of the opportunity it prefented, of enabling them to make themselves well informed of the nature and character of Ireland, with which they feemed to be, as yet, bat flightly acquainted. A greater heap of combustibles than Ireland confifted of, could not be found. Catholic emancipation, in that country, had already been found to mean rebellion. In fact, ninetynine Roman catholics out of a hundred did not care a fingle jot about that which was the real point in question. But there were many who underflood emancipation to mean the abolition of tythes, and a more equal divifion of property. The Iith pealants, for inftance, conceived that when emancipation fhould be granted, every one of them was to have his tythes taken off, and to have an allotment of ten acres of land. In fhort, fo various were their opinions on that great question, and fo violent their pathons, that he could not but deprecate the premature diffufion of

leofe infinuations on the fubject among them, and thus rafhly and inconfiderately light up a flame, which nothing but deluges of blood could poffibly extinguifh. Lord Radnor's motion was alfo oppoled by the earl of Weftmorland, the duke of Athol, and lord Borringdon. It was, on the other hand, ftrenuoufly fupported by the earl of Moira, and very zealously by lord Holland. Lord Moira returned his warmeft thanks to the noble earl, Radnor, for perfifting in his motion for a call of the houfe. It was eflentially neceffary, and must tend to convince the people, that that houfe was not unmindful of their affairs: but that they were determined to do their duty, and look in the face the danger that threatened the country. On the queftion being put, the motion was rejected. Contents, 23Not contents, 54.

On the fame day, February 10th, in the houfe of commons, the contents of a letter from Mr. Addington, the fpeaker, were communicated to the houfe, by the principal clerk, Mr. Leg. In that letter, Mr. Addington, made a tender of his refignation of the office of their fpeaker, with the reafon of that refignation; which was his majesty's declared intention of appointing him to a public fituation incompatible with that which he had the honour to hold in the house of commons, "He was unable to exprefs those fentiments of refpect, gratitude, and regret, with which he was infpired. He was fuftained, however, by the confideration, that, on this occafion, he was actuated by the fame prin ciple of public duty which had ever influenced his conduct, and from which he boasted he should never deviate." On this, Mr. Pitt arote

for

for the purpose of faying, that he had his majefty's command to inform the houfe, that it was his majefty's pleafure, that they fhould proceed, in due time, to the election of another speaker: and, that time might be had for confideration, moved an adjournment of the house till to-morrow, which was agreed to. Sir William Pulteney, who feconded the motion for an adjournment, rofe for the purpose of expreffing his regret at the lofs the houfe would fuftain in the honourable gentleman, who had fo Jong and to ably prefided in their chair. The eulogium pronounced by this refpectable baronet, on Mr. Addington, united pointednefs and energy with the fimplicity of truth. "I cannot avoid faying, that the conduct of our late speaker has been fuch as must have procured him many diftinguished friends in this houfe, and I am perfuaded not one enemy." Sir William proceeded to make fome reflections of importance, and fuited to the occafion. He expreffed his hope, that, who ever might fucceed the late miniftry, that houfe would direct their whole attention to the fituation of the country; and that every gentleman would exert himself in the firit inftance to bring the ftate out of its prefent danger. In conclufion, he faid, "I have a right to fay fomething: I am now old, and have feen niany changes, without a change of principle: I with to fee that kind of change which I never have feen yet; a change, in which perfons of all deferiptions fhall act from no other motive than the good of the public, without having any view to their own perfonal interefts." Throughout the whole of this fpeech, he was liftened to with

cager attention, and repeated exprefiions of applaufe.

February 11. The houfe proceeded to the election of a speaker. The choice fell on the attorney-general, fir John Mitford. He was propofed by lord Hawkesbury; and his lordfhip's motion was feconded and fupported by Mr. J. H. Browne, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Martin, and others.

February 16. Colonel Fullarton rofe for the purpose of moving a vote of thanks to the right honourable Henry Addington, for his faithful and impartial attention to the important duties of his office, whilft speaker of that house. The motion expreffed, in the ftrongest terms, the approbation, refpect, and gratitude of the houfe to Mr. Addington, for the proofs which he had uniformly given of attachment to the conftitution, the fteadiness with which he had maintained the dig nity and privileges of that houfe, and the ability, integrity, and unremitting attention to parliamentary business, which had marked the whole of his conduct, during the whole of the period for which he filled the chair of the house of commons. It was feconded by the honourable Robert Grenville, and carried nemine contradicente. The order of the day for the house to refolve itfelf into a committee of fupply was then read; but, on the motion for the fpeaker leaving the chair, Mr. Harriton rofe to oppofe it. At the moment, he faid, when the house was called upon to pass a vote for fo large a fum as twentyeight millions, there was no oftenfible perfon at the head of affairs, on whom refponfibility could be fixed, for its ufe and application. It was now evident that Mr. Pitt was no longer in his former ‹fficial

fituation,

fituation. It was proper to know
who were the perfons that were to
direct the energies of the country,
Whether they were likely to em-
ploy the money intrufted to them
on objects of true national utility,
or wafte it in idle and fruitless ex-
peditions? Whether they were re-
folved to purfue the fame wild am-
bition which had difgufted every
power, and rendered the whole
world hoftile to us? By granting the
fupplies, under the prefent circum-
ftances, when minifters were on the
eve of retiring from office, the new
men, by whom they were to be fuc-
ceeded, might fay, that they were
under no refponfibility, as thefe
fapplies were voted under a diffe-
rent administration. It would, there
fore, he thought, be a strange derelic
tion of their duty, if they fuffered
the motion, under fuch circumftan-
ces, to pafs; but, if the houfe fhould
be of a different opinion, and the
meafure be adopted, at least they
muft allow confiftency to the late
adminiftration: for their laft act,
on their difmiffal, would be as truly
unconftitutional as the firft act of
their admiffion; and it might be
truly faid, that their entry and their
exit were both equally marked by a
wound to the confequence of that
houfe, and the conftitution of the
country. Mr. Pitt, in reply to
Mr. Harrison, fpoke at confiderable
length. He obferved, that, when
there arifes a change among his ma-
jefty's minifters, it must be left to
his majefty to determine when the
new arrangements fhould be form-
ed; and it was contrary to the fpirit
of the conftitution, for the houfe to
alume any right of determination

on a fubject of that kind. The esti-
mates now produced had already,
from circumftances unneceffary at
prefent to be mentioned, been delay-
ed; and, if any farther delay now took
place, it would be impoffible to
carry into effect thofe measures
which former votes of the houfe had
fanctioned. He felt it his duty far-
ther to ftate, that, if fuch a delay
now took place, it would be impof-
fible for him to retire from the office
he had held till thefe votes fhould
be palled. Without now detailing
circumflances, it was fufficient to
lay, that when he had formed his
refolution to retire, he had, at the
fame time, conceived it to be his
duty not to refign his office, till he
had taken an opportunity to fix the
fupplies for the year, and to explain
that plan which he had in contem-
plation for the public fervice. But
the propofed delay had been de-
fended on the principle, that, at
this moment, there were no perfons
publicly refponfible for the measures
of government, and that minifters
might fcreen themfelves from in-
quiry, by pretences of particular
plans having been formed by a pre-
vious adminiftation, and that, there-
fore, they were not to be loaded
with refponfibility. In anfwer to
this argument, Mr. Pitt obferved,
that though the prefent minifters
were to retire from their official
fituations, he was convinced that
they would never be far out of the
way, when any inquiry was pro-
posed to be inftituted into their con-
duct. For himfelf, though he had
refigned his official ftation, he
fhould ever be ready to attend in
his place, when any part of his per-1

The reader accustomed to the contemplation of grammar, will, no doubt, obferve that the prefent ftate of minifters was fuch as not to be provided for in the com.aon analogies and construction of the English language. It might, however, have poffibly been expreffed by aorists and other tenfes in Greek.

fonal

fonal conduct came to be confidered, or when any queftion involving the interefts of the nation came to be difcuffed. As to the fuppofition, that the new minifters would be under no refponfibility, because the fupplies had been voted before they entered on office, it was founded on mifapprehenfion, fince refponfibility muft be neceflarily vested in thofe under whofe administration thefe fupplies were expended. Mr. Harrifon had farther endeavoured to fupport his objections to the motion, by confiderations drawn from the character of thofe who were to enter on power. With regard to this argument, Mr. Pitt faid, that, though his majefty, at this time, had confidered it to be necessary to make choice of men whofe principles were directly oppofite to thofe of his prefent minifters, though thefe men had come into power with the profeffed refolution of withdrawing their fupport from all thofe meatures which fix-fevenths of the house, and ninetenths of the nation, had fupported, as neceffary to the fecurity of the empire-though they had been in this fituation; as an independent member of parliament, he fhould have felt it his duty to be filent, and not to have made one effort to withhold the fupplies. But, what was the language which had been held by the honourable gentleman, in fupport of the neceffity of delay? He had called upon these very fix fevenths, and these nine-tenths, to withhold the fupplies, not because the measures they had fupported were to be abandoned, but because the fame measures were to be vigoroufly pursued. The objection was, befides, founded on principles unprecedented in the hiftory of this country. According to the confti

tution, his majesty had the fole right of nominating the minifters, and the houfe had no right to form any refolution till their conduct came to be confidered, and judged of by the acts of their administration.-There was no call for the interference of the houfe, either from a change of measures, or of men. The meatures likely to be purfued, and to which the retiring minifters would ftill give their firm fupport, were thofe which the honfe had repeatedly fanctioned by their votes. Of the men, it was perhaps incompetent for them to fpeak, becaufe, who the greater part of them were, could not yet be known, except by general rumour. -One individual, however, was known. He had already filled one fituation, of great eminence and importance, with the moft diftinguithed ability; and this was the beft ground of hope, and the fureft augur of his fervices in another exalted fituation.-On the whole, Mr. Pitt was of opinion, that, in refufing to go into a committee for the purpose of confidering of the neceffary fupplies, the houfe would be queftioning the propriety of all that they had formerly decided, queftioning all that was the beft ground of fanguine expectation, and questioning the exercife of the clearest prerogative of the crown. He concluded, by expreffing his conviction, that the houfe would accede to the motion for the speaker's leaving the chair.

Mr. Dundas, after obferving that it had been faid, that the adminiftration of the country could not be in worfe hands than it was in now, reafoned thus: if fo, as the means of carrying on the measures of government had been intrufted to that adminiftration, it was ftrange, upon

that

that reafon to fuppofe, that fimilar means fhould be withheld from their fucceflors, That no fuch propofition would be acceded to, he relied on the wisdom and good fenfe of the house, who, he was convinced, would not be diffuaded by fuch arguments from now doing their duty in voting the neceflary fupplies, especially as they must be fenfible that an inquiry might hereafter be inftituted into the conduct of his majefty's retiring minifters, if fuch an inquiry fhould be deemed proper and neceffary.

Mr. Harrison's oppofition to going into a committee of fupplies, was fupported by Mr. Western, Mr. Whitbread, Mr. Dent, Mr. Hobhoufe, Mr. Nicholls, and Mr. Sheridan. Mr. Western confidered the new set of minifters as creatures raifed from inferior fituations, under the former miniftry, into public notice, merely by the patronage of Mr. Pitt; and who entered on of fice with the avowed refolution of fupporting the fame fyftem which had reduced the country to its prefent diftrefs.-Mr. Whitbread fpoke with great candour and moderation. It was not his intention, by any means, to intrench on the right of the crown, in the appointment of minifters. The house, however, had a right, if they difapproved of the measures of thofe appointed, to refate the supplies. Let the houfe, then, fee who were the perfons by whom thefe fupplies were to be expended. Let them hear the new minifter, in his place, ftate what his views and principles were, and then let them decide whether he was worthy of their fupport. He profefled his unwillingness to fpeak, at prefent, of the catholic emancipation, referving what he had to

offer till the queftion fhould come to be regularly difcuffed. He did not confider the new fet of minifters as likely to be at all inferior to the former who were about to retire. In point of talents, general economy, and regard to the rights of the people, he conceived that no men could act worse, while there was a chance that they might do better. At all events, he viewed the diffolution of the right honourable gentleman's administration with pleafure, and thought that it held out a faint profpect of the return of better times.-Mr. Dent lamented the want of unanimity in the houfe at this difficult period. He had given a right honourable gentleman his confidence. That gentleman had quitted his office, at an awful time, without explanation as to the causes. He waited for an explanation. An explanation was neceffary of this fudden defertion of his office, when united wisdom and vigour were neceflary to fave the state from ruin.-Mr. Hobhoufe, after enumerating many of the pernicious confequences, and condemning every principal feature of the late adminifiration, affigned, as his reafons for fupporting the oppofition to their going, at prefent, into a committee of fupplies, that the fucceffor to the late chancellor of the exchequer, to whom the expenditure of fuch large fupplies was to be intrufted, would fhortly be in his place, and that no mifchief, nor even inconvenience, could arife from the delay.-Mr. Nicholls afferted, that, after redu cing the country to a state of famine and bankruptcy; after having, by their arrogant and impolitic conduct, raifed against us a confederacy of all the flates of Europe, minifters retired from office, fuggefting rea

fons

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