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pofing any mifapplication of the fupplies, or imputing any mifconduct to others, any more than to himself; that he believed the great and dangerous defects which were difcovered in the year 1771, proceeded merely from the green timber with which fhips were haftily run up towards the conclufion of the late war, when the feafoned timber in the king's docks was exhaufted, in confequence of which they rotted in about half their ufual time of wear. He then expatiated largely upon the prefent flourishing and increafing state of our marine: faid that the docks were now full of feafoned timber, and that the great fums which had been applied to that service were not merely expended to repair, but to reftore the navy. The motion for 20,000 feamen, was carried Jan. 24th. without a divifion; a divifion not having been usual for feveral years upon a matter of fupply.

Many other debates arofe in the fubfequent courfe of the fupplies during this feffion. Though thefe happened at different times, as the requifitions were made for the feveral aids; yet the general subject being the fame, we hall throw the arguments which were ufed on the particular heads into one general view. It is to be obferved, that feveral articles of the public expence were much higher than ufual. The ordnance was fwelled beyond its healthy fize. The extaordinaries of the army for the preceding year, amounted to 288,cool. The civil lift expences, and fupport of government in fome of the colonies, run very high. The enormous fum of 444,000l. was granted for the ordinary of the navy, and above

420,000l. towards building, rebuilding and repairs.

It was obferved and urged with great force, by a member of great knowledge in finance (Mr. Dowdfwell fince deceased) that economy was never fo neceflary in this country, nor fo little practifed as at prefent. That the land-tax was a thilling higher than in any other peace eftablishment, which thould naturally raife public credit in proportion; but that we unfortunately find it at a lower ebb than ever, of which no clearer proof is requi fite than the prefent price of 3 per cents, which were fome years fince confiderably above 90, and were now fallen to about 86 per cent. That the land and malt tax were now totally fwallowed up by the navy, and the finking fund almost abforbed by the other supplies, fo that the whole unappropriated revenue was little more than equal to our peace establishment; where then were the neceffary funds to be found in cafe of a war.

That it was not sufficient to say, that the application of certain fupplies would be useful or neceffary, the first object of confideration was our ability, or inability to provide for them. That former minifters ufed to fuperfede the neceflity of parliamentary animadverfion, by enquiring themfelves minutely into the nature of the fupplies that were demanded, and cutting off fuch as were fuperfluous, or paring those that were redundant. That now, on the contrary, immenfe fums were demanded in the grofs, and granted without account or enquiry.

The carelef inattention of the house to fubjects of fuch great importance, was as much complained [4]3

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of and' reprehended, as the general profufion of government was thought grievous and ruinous. It was faid to be shameful and scanda lous, as foon as the fupplies came to be read or debated, to fee fuch univerfal diforder and confufion prevail, fome going out and others talking, as if no matter of confequence was before them, while millions of their conflituents money were paffing away without examination: That in proportion as our inability increased, and as if it were thought that no common courfe of profufion could compleat our ruin, new fources of expence feemed induftrioufly, and even at the price of national honour and juftice, to be fought after; of which there could not be a more ftriking inftance, than the expedition, equally unjuft and ruinous, which was undertaken against the poor Indians at St. Vincent's. But that if neither prudence in adminiftration, nor a fenfe of duty and the truft repofed in the reprefentatives, were fufficient to reftrain this headlong prodigality, the excefs of the evil would in a little time produce its own remedy, as the nation would be found unable to support so ruinous a state of expence.

It was faid, that the navy and admiralty boards had not been able to align any fatisfactory reafons for their enormous demands; that their expences were every year increafing, and the excels of their accounts ftill growing farther beyond their eftimates; that it would therefore he highly fatisfactory, if not neceffary, to appoint a committee previous to the granting of the fupplies, to infpect their accounts, and to report what favings might be made, and whether the

prefent demands were neceffary. That though it was readily acknowledged, that a formidable navy was effential to the power and fecurity of Great Britain, and it was as well known, that nothing could be held out more flattering to the people, nor no other expence which would be fo chearfully borne; yet there must be limits affigned to that, as to all other regulations. That we were not to lay out all we were worth in the building of great fhips, and thereby part with the means of rendering them ufeful; that we must retain the ability of manning, providing, and supporting them in action, or they would become the contrary to defence: for however tremendous their looks or number, without thofe effential requifites, they would only prove a lure to our enemies, and a tempting prize to rapacity.

On the other fide, the minifter acknowledged and regretted the heavinefs of our burthens, the low ftate of public credit, the neceffity of economy, and the greatnefs of the expence which was now complained of. With respect to the latter, he hoped, if favourable circumftances occurred, to leffen it for the future; but that the ftate of public expence depended fo much upon thefe, that it must always be variable and uncertain. He wished to reduce the national expence, to leffen the burthens of the people, and to fupport public credit, as much as any of thofe who had exprefled fo much anxiety upon thole fubjects; but the effect of fuch withes muft depend upon time, feafon, fituation, and circumftance.

As to the fums hitherto applied to the naval fervice, neceflity was faid to preclude all argument upon

that

that fubject; from whatever causes the navy was reduced into the late ruinous condition our exiftence as an independent nation depended upon its immediate re-establishment: expences then, or any diftreffes they occafioned, were not to be thought of. That, however, the money that was applied was not buried, or loft to the nation; it afforded a ftock in hand. not only of fecurity but of property; it was only a profitable anticipation of future expence, and would, in the natural course of things, be repaid to advantage by future favings in that service.

In this manner miniftry in general defended the greatness of the public charges. But it was remarked, that when the navy eftimate was moved, and thofe charges urged with the greatest heat and energy, the minifter in the Houfe of Commons was abfolutely filent. This gave room for a fuppofition that he difapproved of the establishments, but had been over-ruled by others. This caufed feveral reflections upon him from the oppofition, as having been wanting to the proper dignity of his ftation on all which reflections he was likewife filent.

The motion (which was now become annual) for fhortening the duration of parliament, Feb. 15. was again repeated, by the gentleman, Mr. Sawbridge, who first introduced, and had pledged himself for its renewal in every feflion. This motion produced no debate; but the queftion being called for, was rejected by a great majority, the numbers being 221 againft, to 94 who fupported the question.

On the fame day, Sir George Saville's annual motion relative to

the Middlefex election, was alfo renewed, and leave was defired to bring in a bill, for more effectually fecuring the rights of the electors of Great Britain, and to fecure to that houfe the eligibility of perfons to ferve in parliament. This motion brought on a confiderable debate, and produced a closer divifion than might have been expected. The mover obferved, that he would not recapitulate the arguments which he had formerly flated, as he trufted, from the importance of the fubject, that the impreflion it had made was not worn out of mind. That he had at prefent fome glimmering hopes of carrying his queftion; that as the houfe was not now in that heat and ferment which it formerly was, truth had a better chance for prevailing; that the houfe was now in cool deliberation, and he did not doubt, that the queftion being calmly confidered, might meet with friends, who, in times more heated than the prefent, were of another opinion; that this was not a ministerial question, it was a queftion of the people at large; and he concluded, by obferving the unhappy fituation to which they were brought by the late meafures, of being confidered as having an intereft diftinct from the people; but that he hoped, by an acquiefcence in this motion, it would not be too late to reconcile matters, fo that the people of England and their reprefentatives might not be divided against each other. The queftion was ably fupported; and oppofed upon the fame ground we have formerly thewn. It was rejected upon a divifion in a full houfe, only by a majority of 59; the numbers being 147, to 206.

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CHAP. VI.
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Motion for rendering the bill for the trial of controverted elections perpetual, ftrong oppofition; Debates; the motion carried by a great Majority. Message relative to the transactions in America. American papers laid before the House. Petition received from Bollan the agent. Bofton Port Bill. Second Petition from Bollan, refused. Debates. Petition from several natives of North smerica, refident in London. Great debates upon the third reading of the Boston Port Bill. The Bill paffed.

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HE utility of the late act for the trial of controverted elections, had by this time appeared evident to the greater part of the nation. The few inftances in which it had hitherto operated, had given great fatisfaction; and it was rightly judged, that no time could be better chofen, for fecuring to the people this palladium of their liberties, by rendering the law perpetual, than while the enormities which attended the former mode of deciding upon elections, and the benefits arifing from the prefent, were contrafted to the view, and fresh upon the memory. The popularity of the fubject, and the equity of the principles upon which the law was founded, feemed a fecurity against any violent oppofition.

Notwithstanding thefe

Feb. 25. favourable appearances, 'the motion for rendering the Grenville bill perpetual met with a confiderable oppofition, which was rendered the more formidable, by the minifter's appearing at its head. It was contended, that the bill in queftion was intended, at the time of paffing, and even by its framer, only as temporary and experimental; that though perhaps the particular inftances in which it had hitherto operated might appear in its favour, no conclufion could from thence be drawn of its general

effect, until, at leaft, a general election took place; and that when that experience was obtained, the bill would live or die by its own merits.

But that poffibly in that trial, which could alone perfectly delineate its nature or effects, it might be found incumbered with many evils or inconveniencies, which could not now be eafily foreseen. That its operation with respect to county elections was not yet fufficiently understood; that in fuch cafes, where it frequently happens that fome hundreds of witneffes are to be examined on both fides, and perplexed complicated questions on the right of voting, in a great number of inftances to be fcrutinized and decided upon, a committee could fcarcely go through the bufinefs of a fingle county in a fef

fion; and that when a number of thefe, with a much greater of boroughs, were thrown at once upon their hands, the whole house would be abforbed in committees, and the whole feffion occupied by elections. It was further urged, as an exception to the principles both of the prefent and the propofed bill, that they deprived the houfe of that dernier right of determination upon elections, which was faid to be effential to its nature and exiftence.

On the other fide, it was faid that

that the bill was not intended as an experiment; that it was defigned as a ftanding and perpetual fecurity to the rights of election; but that the judicious framer, apprehenfive of the oppofition, which from its novelty, and other caufes it might experience, would not hazard a matter of fuch importance to the public, by grafping at too much in the first effay; that he was fenfible, when its advantages were known, they would not easily be given up. The fignal benefits which had already been derived from the bill, were faid, fufficient ly to remove all doubts upon its merit; the fcandalous abuses and proftitution, which difgraced the house in the former mode of deciding upon elections, were easily and fully expofed; it was faid, that evidence was ufually given, and council pleaded, to empty benches; but that when the queftion was ready to be propofed, the houfe was fuddenly filled by gentlemen, who, without knowing a fyllable of the merits, had already engaged their determination, while the few who attended to the evidence, and could alone know any thing of the fubject, became cyphers upon the decifion. That experience had already shown, that the house was infinitely lefs embarraffed, and public bufinefs broke in upon, by the prefent than the former mode of trial; fo that the objections on that ground were refuted by every perfon's own knowledge.

That it was a matter of much furprize and regret, that any gentleman fhould openly avow himself a patron and encourager of venality and corruption, by oppofing the moft effectual measure that had ever

been adopted for reftraining their progrefs; or that any minitter would tranfmit his name to pofterity as an enemy to the conftitution, by endeavouring to weaken or remove the ftrongeft buttrefs that could be erected to its fupport; a law which equally fecured the liberties of the people, and their own rights and privileges. That minifters had fufficient means in their hands for the gaining and preferving of friends, without defcending to the encouragement of fuch grofs and barefaced profligacy and corruption. That they might be fatisfied with the votes of a large majority in all queftions of a political nature, without attempting to vitiate the decifions of the house in its judicial capacity. That in reality it was a great doubt, whether as minifters they gained any thing by the corrupt decifion of elections. They made more enemies than friends by it; and that they had always a fair chance of getting a new member, when they had not irritated him, and poffibly many powerful friends, by a violent attempt to drive him out of the house against all reafon. That in the courfe of things, as miniftry was not eternal, this practice would be ufed against each in his turn, and hurt all, without in reality ferv. ing any. It was therefore furpriz ing, they faid, that the minifter could be so blind as to think he had an intereft in opposing it.

Several gentlemen of different parties related facts which came within their own knowledge in various parts of the kingdom, and which afforded the clearest evidence of the great benefits which were already derived from the Grenville bill." A lawyer of the firft emi

nence

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