queftion of adjournment, the minif ters were left in a minority of 79 to 87. The fame day the Houfe of Commons, on the motion of Mr. Baker, took into confideration the reports above alluded to. He ftat. ed, thortly, that the public notori. ety, both of the fact itself and of the effects it had produced, called on the houfe, which was the natural guardian of the conftitution, for their immediate interference. He divided the criminality of the fubject matter of the report into two parts; firft, the giving fecret advice to the crown; and, fecondly, the ufe that had been made of his majesty's name, for the purpofe of influencing the votes of members of parliament in a matter de. pending before them. The firft, he contended, was a direct and dangerous attack upon the conftitu. tion. The law declared that the king could do no wrong; and therefore had wifely made his minifters amenable for all the measures of his government. This was of the very effence of the conftitution, which could no longer fubfift, if perfons unknown, and upon whom, confequently, no refponfibility could attach, were allowed to give fecret advice to the crown. With regard to the fecond, Mr. Baker proved, from the Journals, that to make any reference to the opinion of the king, on a bill depending in either houfe, had always been judged a high breach of the priveleges of parliament; he therefore concluded with moving, "That it is now neceffary to declare, that to report "any opinion, or pretended opi nion, of his Majesty, upon any "bill or other proceeding depend"ing in either houfe of parliament, "with a view to influence the "votes of the members, is a high "crime and misdemeanor, deroga. "tory to the honour of the crown, a breach of the fundamental pri"vileges of parliament, and fub"verfive to the conftitution." The motion was feconded by Lord Maitland, and ftrongly op pofed by Mr. W. Pitt, who urged the impropriety of proceeding on mere unauthenticated rumours; al. ledging, at the fame time, that if fuch rumours were judged a proper foundation for the house to proceed upon, there were rumours circulated with equal induftry, in which the fame ufe was made of his majefty's name, in favour of the bill, that had been fo much condemned when fupposed to have been used in oppofition to it. With refpect to the effects, which had been adduced as a proof of the truth of the report, if they referred to a late divifion in the other houfe, he thought the premifes did not warrant the conclufion, as it was no very unufual thing for the lords to reject a bill that had been paffed by the commons, without the fmallet fufpicion of undue influence. With refpect to the cri minality of the facts which were the fubject of thefe reports, he denied that it was criminal in any of the who were peers, the knowledged hereditary counsellors of the crown, to give his advice to the king in any cafe whatever; and as to the breach of the previleges of parliament, he contended, that the precedents which had been read from the journals, though felected from the glorious times of King Charles I. were in nowife applicable to the prefent cafe. Mr. Pitt concluded his fpeech with reproaching the minifters for their bafe attach ac ment ment to their offices, though, upon their own ftate of the cafe, they had loft their power, and no longer poffeffed the confidence of their prince. In anfwer to thefe obfervations, it was faid to be a strong prefump. tion of the truth of the reports, that though feveral members, nearly al. lied to the noble earl whofe nime had been mentioned on this occafion, had spoken in the debate, none of them had ventured to affert they were falfe. That the facts alledged to have been produced, were really the effects of undue influence, and not of conviction, was manifeft from certain wellknown circumstances, relative to a late divifion in another place. After a long and warm debate, the houfe divided, and there appeared for the motion 153, against it 80. It was then refolved, "That on Monday next the house would "refolve itself into a committee of "the whole house, to take into "confideration the prefent ftate of "the nation." 44 As a change of minifters appear ed to be a measure determined upon by the king, and the diffolution of parliament an immediate and neceffary confequence, the majority of the houfe thought no time was to be loft in endeavouring to render the attempt as difficult as poffible. With this view, immediate. ly after the above refolutions were agreed to, Mr. Erskine made the following motion, "That it is ne"ceffary to the most effential in" terefts of this kingdom, and pe"culiarly incumbent on this houfe, "to purfue with unremitting at. "tention the confideration of a "fuitable remedy for the abufes "which have prevailed in the go vernment of the British domi"nions in the Eaft Indies; and "that this houfe will confider as an enemy to his country any "perfon who fhall prefume to ad"vife his majefty to prevent, or ❝ in any manner interrupt, the "difcharge of this important "duty." The motion was oppofed, as manifeftly factious, and as interfering with the executive part of government, and trenching on the undoubted prerogative of the crown, without any juftifiable caufe. A member obferved, that the true meaning and intent of the motion was, "that it is neceffary, for fecuring the prefent administration a continuance in office, that no diffɔlution of parliament should take place at prefent." The motion was, however, carried by the fame majority with the former. On Wednesday, the 17th Dec. feventeenth of December, the India bill was rejected by the lords, on a divifion of 95 to 76. It was remarked, that the Prince of Wales, who was in the mino. rity in the former divifion, having learned in the interim that the measure was oftenfive to the king, was abfent on this occafion, twelve o'clock on the following night a meffenger delivered to the two fecretaries of ftate his majefty's orders, "That they should deliver 66 up the feals of their offices, and "fend them by the under-fecre "taries, Ac Mr. Frazer and Mr. "Nepean, as a perfonal interview "" on the occafion would be difa"greeable to him." The feals were immediately given by the king to Lord Temple, who fent letter sof difmiffion, the day following, to the reft of the cabinet council: at the [4] famo fame time Mr. William Pitt was appointed first lord of the treasury, and chancellor of the exchequer, and Earl Gower prefident of the council. On the 22nd, Lord Temple refigned the feals of his office, and they were delivered to Lord Sy duey, as fecretary of State for the home department, and to the Marquis of Carmarthen for the foreign. Lord Thurlow was appointed high chan cellor of Great Britain, the Duke of Rutland lord privy feal, Lord Vifcount Howe firft lord of the admiralty, and the Duke of Richmond mafter general of the ordnance; Mr. William Grenville and Lord Mulgrave fucceeded Mr. Burke in the pay.cffice, and Mr. Henry Dun. das was appointed to the office of treafurer of the navy. CHAP. V. Mcafures were adopted by the majority in the House of Commons to prevent the diffolution of parliament-defer the third reading of the land tax bill. Converfation relative to the refignation of Earl Temple. Refolution of the committee on the fate of the nation to address the king. Favourable anfwer from the king. Refolutions of the committee refpecting the acceptance of India Bonds-and the Duchy of Lancaster. Short adjournment during the Christmas holidays. State of parties at the meeting of the House. Debate on refuming the committee on the state of the nation. Refolutions of the committee, respecting the illuing of public money not appropriated by acts of parliament -for deferring the fecond reading of the mutiny bill-for the appointment of minifters that enjoyed the confidence of the Houfeof cenfure on the appointment of the prefent minifters. Pitt, for the better government of the India company. merits of Mr. Pitt's and Mr. Fox's India bills. Notice, by Mr. Fox, of bringing in a new bill. THE HE formidable majority in the Houfe of Commons, which adhered to the late minifters, after their difmiffion from his majefty's fervice, made the immediate diffolution of parliament, in the public opinion, an event almoft inevitable. The paffing of the land tax bill was a previous flep neceffarily to be taken. This bill had been twice read, and on Saturday the 20th of December was ordered for the third reading. But as the committee on the fate of the nation was to fit on the Monday following, , the majority did not think it pru Bill brought in by Mr. Debate on the comparative Mr. Pitt's bill rejected. dent to fuffer this inftrument of de- him; and that he had thought fit to refign the feals of his office, in order to avoid the fmalleft fufpicion of feeking for protection or shelter in the power and influence of a mi. nifter. In answer to this extraordinary notification Mr. Fox obferved, that, with respect to the propriety of the noble earl's relinquithing an office, which he had held but for three days, he was, doubtlefs, himfelf the firteft judge: that as to the facts alluded to, facts of public notoriety, and which materially affected the honour of parliament, and the fafety of the conftitution, he truffed the houfe would fee the neceffity of taking them into their moft terious confideration: but that the fecret nature of thofe tranfac. tions, almott precluded the poffibility of bringing a perfonal charge against any one. In the committee on the fate of the nation, it was propofed by Mr. Erkine that an addrefs fhould be prefented to the king, ftating, "the "the alarming reports of an intended diffolution of parliament; to reprefent to his majefty the incon. veniences and dangers that would attend fuch a measure, at a moment when the maintenance of the public credit, the fupport of the revenue, and more efpecially the diftreffed ftate of the finances of the Eaft India company, and the diforders prevailing in their government both at home and abroad, demanded the moft immediate attention; to be feech his majefty to fuffer them to proceed on the important bufinefs recommended to them in his fpeech from the throne; and to hearken to the voice of his faithful Commons, and not to the fecret advices of perfons who may have private interefs of their own, feparate from the true intereft of his majefty and his people." The high prerogative language ufed by the partizans of the new administration, in the debate on the 19th, and their eagernefs in preffing the third reading of the tax balls, left no room to doubt of their intention to diffolve the parliament as foon as that neceffary step was fecured. But on this day there appeared fome marks of indecifion, at leaft, if not of a total defertion of that defign; and this change in the counfels of government was fuppofed to have been the real caufe of the fudden refignation that had been juft announced to the Houfe.-In the former debate it was ftrongly urged, that it was time to check the violent difpofition that had lately fhewn itself to encroach on the prerogatives of the crown, and which threatened to overturn the balance of the conftitution; that the prefent was a moment which called for, and would juftify, the exertion of these prerogatives; and that he was not fit to be a minifter, who fhould be deterred by any refolutions of that Houfe from purfuing what he might judge to be the ftrict line of his duty.-The prefent queftion was combated on different grounds. Mr. Dundas, who was foon after made treasurer of the navy, and Mr. Bankes, a private confidential friend of the chancellor of the exchequer, affured the committee that there was no intention in government to interrupt the prefent proceedings of parliament, either by diffolution or prorogation; and the latter gentleman particularly added, that he had authority from his friend to declare, that if fuch a measure should be propofed in his majesty's council, he would would oppofe it; and if it fhould be carried against his opinion, he would immediately refign his office. -Thefe affurances did not, however, appear fatisfactory to the majority. It was asked what probable fecurity could be derived from any promifes made to the Houfe by a minitter, whofe acceffion to power was found. ed on an attempt to degrade its dignity and importance? Bur, allow. ing him all the credit that might be required, what dependence could be placed on the influence of a perfon, in a future cabinet, who had yet but one colleague in office nominated? And even though they had received the fame affurances from the whole cabinet, did not the experience of the last week prove, that their decifions might the next moment be overruled by the fecret and irrefponfible advifers of the crown? No reply was offer. ed to thefe arguments; and it was at length refolved, without a divi. fion, that the addrefs, as propofed, fhould be presented to the king by the whole House. On the Wednesday 24th Dec. following the speaker read to the Houfe, the answer which had that day been given to their addrefs by his majefty on the throne. -It was as follows: "Gentlemen, "It has been my conftant ob. ject to employ the authority entrutted to me by the conftitution to its true and only end-the good of my people, and I am always happy in concurring with the wishes and opinions of my faithful Commons. "I agree with you in thinking, that the fupport of the public credit and revenue must demand your moft earneit and vigilant care. "The fate of the East Indies is also an object of as much delicacy and importance, as can exercise the wifdom and juftice of parliament, I truft you will proceed in those confiderations with all convenient fpeed, after fuch an adjournment as the prefent circumitances may feem. to require. And I affure you I shall not interrupt your meeting by any exercife of my prerogative, either of prorogation or diffolution." Some exceptions were taken to the concluding words of this an. fwer. It was remarked, that the whole extent of the royal favour amounted to no more than an affurance, that they fhould meet again; that the terrors of a diffolution were ftill left before their eyes, with a strong implication that the fatal fentence thould or fhould not be pronounced, as their beha viour might merit. It was hoped that this artful defign would fail in its effect; and that, without regarding the confequences, they would continue their exertions to fave the constitution from the dan gerous example, of feeing etablished a miniftry formed in defiance of the Houfe of Commons, on the ground of private favour, opposed to public confidence, by the practices of clofet intrigue and fecret influ. ence, and not upon the voice of the country, or upon the fenfe of par. liament. In the committee upon the fate of the nation, upon the motion of lord Beauchamp, the chairman was directed to move the Houfe, and it was accordingly refolved, "that it is "the opinion of this Houfe, that the "lords of the treasury ought not to "confent that the directors of the "Eaft India company do accept any more bills, unless they shall "be able to prove to parliament "that |