proof of his majesty's anxiety to reftore the bleffings of peace to thefe kingdoms; but we cannot conceal from ourselves, nor will we, by any ill-timed flattery, diffemble from his majefty, that a total change of councils appears, to us neceflary for the accomplishment of that defirable end, and the re-establishment of peace on any fure or folid foundation." This amendment was feconded by the earl of Suffolk.

Ld Romney faid, that the noble lord (Holland) muft excufe him, when he declared that he should have thought much of what had fallen from him would have better become the mouth of Lucian Buonaparte in an addrefs to the French convention, than that of a Britif peer to a British parliament. He had afferted that the prefent war, and the conduct of it, formed one continued feries of illfuccefs and difgrace. Was there ever any war, in which Britain had ever been engaged, that was more glorious to the British name, more honourable to our flag, or that had afforded fo frequent an opportunity for British feamen and their brave commanders to fignalize themselves by brilliant exploits? As to negotiation for peace, he faw no reafon to think that Buonaparte would not as willingly treat with the prefent minifters as with others. With regard to the high price of provifions, being a confiderable farmer himself, and living in a corn country, it had occurred to him, as a matter of great doubt, whether thole purchafers of corn, who bought great 'quantities, did not do more harm than good? He begged leave alfo to fuggeft another regulation in the corn business, which was, that all corn fhould be brought into the market, and pitched, as in former

times: by that means every perfon would be able to judge for himself, whether there was much corn in the market or not; whereas now, while corn was fold by fample, a few growers met in a private room, and nobody knew whether there was much or little at market. In cafe all the corn fo brought into towns, fhould not be all of it fold on the market day, there fhould be in each town fmall granaries or warehoufes let at eafy rents, in which the unfold corn might be depofited till the next market day.→ Thefe hints of lord Romney's undoubtedly were of folid utility, and merited the ready and warm approbation which was bestowed on them by another patriotic nobleman, and friend to the poor. This was

The earl of Suffolk. His lordfhip entirely concurred in opinion with lord Romney, in what he had propofed for confideration on the fubject of the fcarcity. He alfo concurred with him in opinion, that the greatest praife was due to our naval officers and feamen. They had, during the war, behaved mont glorioufly. But here he must stop: he could go no farther. On the contrary, he joined with the noble lord who moved the amendment, in thinking that our military operations had been, on the whole, il conducted. His majefty's minifters, he maintained, were highly to blame, for not having inflituted an inquiry into feveral of the military expeditions of the war, which he specified.

Lord Grenville having followed lord Holland over the beaten ground of fincerity or infincerity in negotiation, the alleged connexion between war and carcity, which he faid had been clearly difproved,

the

the convention of El-Arith, and other particulars, came to the important point of the difference between treating with Buonaparte now and before the battle of Maringo. If Buonaparte were in that houfe, faid his Jordihip, and would speak truth, he mult acknowledge that the battle of Maringo was the fixing of his power. If he had not fucceeded on those plains, he had not now been chief conful of France. If he had not fucceeded, he must have been involved in total ruin. If the noble lord would minutely contemplats the pofture of affairs at that period, he would find that the power of Buonaparte was fufpended by a fine thread, and that his propofition for a negotiation arofe not fo much from a defire of peace, as to confirm him in his precarious power. Since that time, a fuccellion of events had confolidated his power, and he was now de facto ruler of France. On former occafions, his majefty's fervasts had been embarraffed by their duty, which prevented them from fiating to the houfe all they knew refpealing France. At the prefent moment they felt no fuch difficulty: and he diftinctly declared, that, if the French government were fincerely defirous of peace, it might be concluded on fair and honourable terms. With refpect to our ally, it would not be right to fay that he had acted inconfiftently with his alliance, efpecially as he had given his affurance that he would not; but if, contrary to good faith, other councils fhould influence his conduct, then there would be no difficulty in negotiating feparately, in cluding, however, thofe allies who remain with us. Though peace be a great object, though commerce be a great object, yet it was of im

portance that we fhould fhew to the world, that any nation entering into alliance with us, was fure never to be deferted.

The earl of Suffolk afked ministers what fteps and proceedings they meant to take to diminish the high price of provifions? He also begged leave to remark, that the number of dragoons was too great, and more than fufficient, as it was not poffible to employ them in any other than times of tumult and riot. He recommended the abstaining from brewing, and letting the barley grow folely for the ufe of the poor. He alto reminded the houfe, of a fuggeftion which he had offered in a former feffion, namely, to concentrate all the force in the kingdom, as nearly in the middle of it as poffible, and to build vehicles that would hold ten men each, fo as to convey 10,000 troops, with little delay, wherever their exertions might be called for. Thefe vehicles, when not otherwife employed, might be fent to. fetch fish from the coafts, which would be a confiderable relief to the poor and indigent.-On a divifion of the house, there appeared to be five voices for the amendment; and against it fifty: fo that the addrefs was carried by a great majority.A question was now put to minifters by the duke of Norfolk, of the fame purport with the earl of Suffolk's, to which no anfwer had been given. His grace withed to know on what days the fubjects contained in his majesty's fpeech were to be difcuffed? Lord Grenville faid, he could not exactly teli, because it partly depended on the communications that were to be made to the houfe on the subject of fearcity, and partly on the bufinefs before the other houfe.~

[B 4]

The

The duke of Norfolk then gave notice that he would move for the appointment of a committee to take into confideration the prefent high price of provifions.-Lord Grenville faid, it was probable that this would be the fame ftep that minifters might propose.

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, an addrefs of thanks to his majefty was moved by

Sir J. Wrottefly, who juftified all the fentiments expreffed in the fpeech from the throne; but infifted chiefly on the juftice and neceffity of protecting farmers and other individuals dealing in grain from the infults, abufes, and outrages, of a mifguided multitude. His majefly, he obferved, in directing them to the confideration of the laws refpecting the various articles of provifion, had recommended a moft important diftinction between any practices of that nature, and the long-established courfe of trade, which experience had fhewn to be indifpenfable in the prefent ftate of fociety. An addrefs, correfponding to the different topics and fentiments contained in the fpeech being then read, it was feconded by

Mr. W. Dickenfon, junior. Mr. Dickenfon alcribed the prefent high price of provifions chiefly to circumftances, which neither the eye of caution could forefee, nor the hand of care prevent, He alluded to two unfruitful years treading hard on the late harveft. At the commencement of the prefent harveft, there was not a month's confump tion in the country. He believed, however, that there were other, though fecondary caufes of the dear nefs of provifions, particularly the practices of foreftallers, regraters, and monopolifts; and if this de

fcription of perfons could be convicted of heaping artificial on the real calamities of the country, there was, in his opinion, no punishment which the law could inflict too fevere. Yet, he candidly admitted, that the legislature fhould be particularly careful not to apply old or antiquated laws to the fair dealer of the prefent day; not to confound the unfair monopolift with the merchant, who was neceffary for the fupply of the markets. Mr. Dickenfon, among various pertinent remarks, made fome important oblervations on the evils that had befallen, and muft befall, free ftates, on the diffolution of confederacies ne

ceflary to their political exiftence.

Mr. Dickenfon, in conclufion declared, that he feconded the addrefs: 1ft. because it had been moved, in an able fpeech, by his honourable friend; 2d, because it manifefted our duty to our fovereign; 3d. because it afferted the independence and peculiar province of that houfe to grant the fupplies.

Sir Francis Burdett afked minifters how they dared to put into his majefty's mouth that which they themselves and every man in the kingdom knew to be falfe. Having defcribed the distressful state of the country, which had been brought on by the politics of the minifters, he declared, that, as the addrefs went to approve the conduct of thofe to whom the public owed all its calamities, he thould certainly moft ftrenuously oppofe it. For to the war folely, and the enormous taxes which it impofed, fir Francis afcribed the public diftrefs. He confidered money and bank notes as fo many tickets, entitling the bearer to fo many heads of cattle from the graziers, or fo many quar

ters

ters of corn from the cultivators of the earth. Sir Francis calculated, from the variety and weight of taxes, direct and indirect, that a very fmail fraction of a nine hundredth part of the produce remained to the cultivator as the reward of all the fweat, labour, and thirft emploved upon his capital. The increafed price of every thing was to be afcribed to the increafe of taxes. Befet with claimants, all indufury and prodace would foon be at a stand, if the producer did not find out fome means to ftruggle againft bis deftruction. He cannot deny the authority or validity of the tickets to which he muft answer: but he difputes their value, that is, he raises his price, and thus gives only five perhaps for that ticket which was if fued for ten. The ticket-bearer is then difappointed, and either has his falary raifed, or an additional number of tickets for his next fervice or contract. The fame procels is repeated: the tickets are multiplied, and the price rifes; while the bulk of the nation, who have neither government tickets nor produce, are crushed between the two. Mr. Robfon expreffed his difapprobation of the addrefs now moved for by the noble baronet, because it did not hold out to the public the true and deplorable state of the country, and the real caufe of the dearness of corn; and, what was nearly as bad, at leaft to the middling rank of the people, the dearnels of every necellary of life. In the courfe of the three or four laft months he had had occafion to pafs

through most of the principal counties in England; when he had the pleafure to fee plentiful crops, for the most part well got in, and at a fmall expenfe. In the month of Auguft, and part of September, every body congratulated him, faying, Now, fir, we must have bread cheap! The fineft oats, now about 50s. were fold at Huntingdon, the laft week in Auguft, at 24s. Mr. Robfon here ftated three facts, which prove how ticklish a thing it is to agitate the public mind. A fhort time afterwards (after the laft week of Augeft) a report appeared in the public newfpapers by the board of agriculture: in which it was stated, that in the crop of the current year there had been a very confiderable deficiency. Corn immediately began to rife. The people on this became diflatisfied. Tumultuous meetings and mobs feizing the corn, grew into riots. A proclamation of government, in which a fearcity of grain was still more explicitly afferted than in the board of agriculture's proclamation, and very juftly fhewing the mifchievous folly of riots, infead of appeafing the people, had a contrary effect: for they confidered it as a measure intended not to produce precaution and prudent economy, but merely to encourage and protect farmers, whofe interests were the fame with thofe of the landlords and monopolizers.* On the back of that proclamation came a letter, announcing fcarcity more forcibly ftill, from the duke of Portland, and very juftly alfo reprobating and

expofing