was arduous and important, was by no means sufficiently paid. But it was in vain to say what the commissioners had done, since the honourable gentleman confessed himself unfit to be a commissioner; for, he had expressly told the house, it had cost him more trouble to write a single line of a report, than it would take him to pen an entire report of the commissioners of accounts. The right honourable gentleman's bill (Mr. Sheridan said) he had never considered as an exclusion of all future inquiry; and yet, from the right honourable gentleman's argument of that day, he seemed so to regard it; for, notwithstanding that the facts stated in the opening of the present subject, by his honourable friend, had all of them been substantiated and established by evidence, yet, the right honourable gentleman was for leaving them for the correction of the commissioners, when they should have leisure to attend to them. It appeared, indeed, the right honourable gentleman had surrendered his understanding when he brought in the bill; and was determined to hear only with Mr. Baring's ears, and to see with the eyes of Sir John Dick; and, therefore, he could not pay the least attention to the representations of the noble Earl of Tankerville. But as he did not accuse the commissioners of celerity-for they had hitherto moved as slowly as the old mails-he wished they would step to the Post-office, where probably they might be benefitted by Mr. Palmer's accelerating plan. Mr. Sheridan read a clause from the bill, to show that the transactions relative to the £350 and the £200 as well as the affair of the agency to the Helvoetsluys packets, came directly within the meaning of the clause; declaring, any person or persons guilty of such practices, should be incapable of serving His Majesty in any civil capacity in future. The right honourable gentleman (Mr. Pitt) appeared to plume himself upon his political connections with a noble lord (Hawkesbury) and sacrificing to these, he had dismissed from office the noble Earl of Tankerville, and retained the noble lord (Carteret), although by the office-fee-bill, if it had passed into a law, the latter, on the present charge being proved, must have been disqualified from holding any office under government. But this was done to reward Mr. Jenkinson's public services,-secret services, and services in that house. Indeed, his many eminent services could not be forgotten by the right honourable gentleman, as on a very recent occasion,

he overturned his own favourite measure, by destroying the Irish propositions. This was one of the secret services for which he had so meritoriously received a recompense.

Lord Maitland, who undertook the defence of the post-office, had early in the debate moved the previous question; which being carried, his lordship made a motion, "that the farther consideration of the report be adjourned to that day three months." This was likewise carried.

REFORM OF THE ROYAL BOROUGHS IN SCOTLAND.

Mr. Sheridan now begged leave to call the attention of the house to the motion, which he had several days before promised, concerning the internal reform of the royal boroughs of Scotland. He would not, at this late period of the session, enter deeply into the subject; as the gentlemen entrusted with the direction of the new system for the better government of the boroughs, had no idea of its being fully canvassed previously to the next session of parliament. All that he, therefore, meant to propose was, for leave to present to the house the various petitions in favour of the measure. That which he held in his hand, was from the inhabitants of the city of Glasgow ; containing nearly 1,500 signatures of men, in every view, of the highest respectability and independence. He, however, was sorry to observe, that he had been informed, from authority, that the prayer of the petitioners could not, according to the regulations of the house, be considered, this session of parliament; the time of receiving private petitions having expired, and this being supposed to come under that description. Although he very much respected the source of intelligence from whence this opinion was derived; yet, he was free to say, that a petition, containing the signatures of such a numerous class of men, certainly could not, strictly speaking, be considered as a private petition; but was, in every sense of the word, a public petition; and, consequently, demanded the attention of parliament. He read an extract from it, which stated the great hardships which the petitioners, and the people of Scotland, suffered, from the present corrupt government of the royal boroughs; particularly so far as related to the management of the revenue;-that acts of enormity and peculation existed; and that the petitioners prayed that the house would take the subject into consideration, and enact such a salutary reform as, to them, in their wisdom, should seem necessary. Mr. Sheridan concluded, by moving for leave to present the petition.

The Speaker, considering it in the light of a private petition, gave his opinion against the motion. Mr. Fox supported it; and said he considered the petition of as public and universal a nature, as any which had ever been presented. Mr. Dundas moved, "that the house should now adjourn.” Mr. Anstruther was surprised that the matter had not sooner been brought forward; he being informed that many of the gentlemen had been several months in town.

Mr. Sheridan defended the conduct of the gentlemen who officiated as delegates from Scotland. He declared, that their attention to the trust reposed in them by their countrymen deserved the highest panegyric; as he never saw any description of men more sincerely, or more warmly, bent upon the particular object of their pursuit. Previous to their residence in London, they had shown the most active attachment to the laudable plan which had been brought forward; and, although they had been several weeks in town, their time was strictly occupied in the duties incumbent upon them. They had visited, and solicited, all the representatives from their own country: who had, to a man, rejected their proffers; refusing to countenance a reform which militated so essentially against the interest of their constituents. The gentlemen alluded to were not, however, discouraged, but proceeded with that manly perseverance and fortitude which should always command success. If the question of adjournment was now carried, he promised that the business should be resumed, as early as possible, next session of parliament. Mr. Dundas's question of adjournment was carried.

DECEMBER 11.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MR. HASTINGS.

* On the 19th of April, Mr. Francis opened the charge relative to the revenues of Bengal. He took this occasion of vindicating his character against certain malicious insinuations which had been industriously circulated both within and without the house; and to the effects of which he attributed the rejection of his name in the appointment of the committee. Mr. Francis was answered by Major Scott. After other members had spoken, the question was put, and the committee divided-ayes 71; noes 55. On the 25th of April, Mr. Burke brought up from the secret committee the articles of impeachment; which being read a first time, were ordered to be printed, and to be taken into consideration on the 9th of May. Upon the latter day, after much discussion, the house divided on the question, whether the report "should be now read a second time?" which was carried in the affirmative, by 175 to 89. After which, the first article of impeachment was

* Abstract of proceedings continued from that under the head of April 3.

read, and agreed to without a division; and the rest deferred till the morrow, when they were read, amended, and agreed to. Mr. Burke then rose, and moved, "That Warren Hastings, Esq. be impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors upon the said articles." The question was put and carried. Mr. Frederick Montagu next rose, and moved, "That Mr. Burke, in the name of the house of commons, and of all the commons of Great Britain, do go to the bar of the house of lords, and impeach Warren Hastings, Esq., late governor-general of Bengal, of high crimes and misdemeanors; and do acquaint the lords, that the commons will, with all convenient speed, exhibit articles against him, and make good the same. The motion being agreed to, the majority of the house immediately attended Mr. Burke to the bar of the house of peers; where Mr. Burke solemnly impeached Mr. Hastings in the form above-recited. On the 11th, Mr. Burke reported to the house, that he had been at the bar of the house of lords, and had impeached Mr. Hastings, in obedience to their commands. He then moved, that the message from the lords, appointing a day for the trial of Mr. Hastings, be read; which was done accordingly. He next moved, "that managers be appointed to make good the articles of impeachment against Warren Hastings, Esq.; and that the committee, to whom it was referred to consider the defence of Warren Hastings, be the said managers.

"That Messrs. Wallis and Troward be the solicitors for the impeachment. "That this house will attend the trial of Warren Hastings, as a committee of the whole house."

Which motions, upon being severally put, were unanimously agreed to. Mr. Fox afterwards moved, "that the name of Mr. Francis be added to the committee." Mr. Pitt opposed it.

MR. SHERIDAN remarked, that he had frequently had occasion to admire the admirable talents of the right honourable gentleman (Mr. Pitt) who spoke last. His address and management were the constant objects of his envy. His forward and enterprising qualities, which he had so eminently displayed at one time, could not be equalled by his prudence and discretion at another. His prudence, however, had never been more conspicuously proved than on that evening; for his prudence had wisely prevented him from undertaking the task of answering two of the most eloquent speeches he had ever heard. But the right honourable gentleman, though he found it indiscreet to attempt to answer the honourable mover and seconder of the motion, had been so good as to entertain them with a new discovery. He had discovered that this was not a question of argument, but of feeling. A new system of proceeding and discussion seemed to have taken place in that house; and every topic that occurred was to be resolved into two general heads. If any inquiry was to be urged on any ground of unexplained expense, or of alarm

ing and offensive projects, it was instantly to be supported by confidence in the minister. If any question was agitated, in which the minister was not personally interested, then it was to be resisted on the ground of feeling—and thus, to harmonize the house of commons, and to put an end to all argument and contention, their whole proceedings were to be divided between and conducted by confidence and feeling. It was not, however, difficult to draw within a narrow compass the true state of this question. When Mr. Francis first arrived from India, there might be some difficulty as to the part he was to take; whether it should be the manly and open part of an accuser, coming forward with his own person, and standing responsible for the accusations he made; or whether he should shrink from the duty which he owed his country, and conceal the important truths of which he had the fullest knowledge. The course to take, in this case, was easy to be settled in the mind of a manly character; and there was nothing in the whole tenor of the relative situation in which he and Mr. Hastings stood in India, that ought to have prevented him from thus coming forward. What was it but a continued state of opposition on the part of inflexible integrity to corruption-of conscientious discharge of duty to an interested violation of orders?-and what was it to the purpose that this opposition produced a personal contest? That contest was the slightest mark of the opposition which had passed between them. At length, however, it was indirectly inferred that the honourable gentleman (Mr. Francis) might with delicacy furnish assistance in the dark ;-he might act under covert, and give them sly and secret aid; but if he stood fairly and handsomely forward, and avowed the information which he gave, then a certain undescribed and equivocal feeling was to be outraged. The question being put, the house divided—ayes 62; noes 122.

DECEMBER 18.

ORDNANCE ESTIMATES.

MR. SHERIDAN observed, that he meant not to take up much of the time of the house; but he had an intention of making several motions; which he hoped would not meet with any objection. The subjects of his motions were the ordnance estimates, which had been moved at so late an hour of the night on the pre