ed under the sanction of prerogative, nor to put those who advised them under PERIL OF PUNISHMENT."

Such was the candor of the noble lord, and such his indulgence to those guilty of the crime of refcuing the nation from the ruin which impended over it, as the inevitable refult of that fatal system patronized and supported by the noble lord and his colleagues, till the patience and credulity of an abused and exafperated people were at length exhausted. He who, by his own wretched misconduct, had created the neceffity for making the facrifices in queftion, ought furely in decency to have been the last man in the nation who should have suggested the profligate idea of putting those who advised them under PERIL OF PU

NISHMENT.

Mr. Fox now rose, and declared his perfect concurrence with the sentiments expreffed by the noble lord; and in still more bitter terms reprobated the peace as the most difastrous and humiliating that had ever difgraced any country. He had been accused, he said, of having formed an union with the noble lord, whose principles he had opposed for feveral years of his life; but the grounds of their oppofition were removed, and he did not conceive it to be honourable to keep up animofities for ever. He was happy at all times to have a proper opportunity to bury his resentments, and it was the wish of his heart that his friendships should never die. The American war was the fource of his disagreement with the noble lord; and that cause of enmity being now no more, it was wife and fit to put an end to the ill-will, the animofity, the feuds, and the rancor which it engendered. It was a fatisfaction to him to apply the appellation of FRIEND to the noble lord; he had found him honourable as an adverlary, and he had no doubt of his openness and fincerity as a friend."

By a very great and respectable part of the house, this declaration, which opened a perfectly new scene of things, was most indignantly received. Mr. Powys faid, " This

was

was the age of strange confederacies. The world had seen great and arbitrary despots stand forth the protectors of an infant republic-France and Spain had combined to eftablish the rifing liberties of America. The house now furveyed the counterpart of this picture-a MONSTROUS COALITION had taken place between a noble lord and an illustrious commoner--the lofty affertor of the prerogative had joined in alliance with the worshippers of the majesty of the people." On the division the effect of this monstrous coalition was immediately visible, there appearing for the amendment 224 against 208 voices.

On the 21st of February lord John Cavendish moved a series of resolutions, importing-" 1. That in confideration of the public faith, his majesty's faithful commons will affift him in rendering the peace permanent. 2. That in concurrence with his majesty, they will endeavour to improve the blessings of peace to the advantage of the nation. 3. That his majesty, in acknowledging the independency of America, has acted in conformity to the sense of parliament, and to the powers vested in him by the act of the last feffion. 4. That the conceffions made to the adverfaries of Great Britain by the provifional treaty, and the preliminary articles, are greater than they were entitled to either from the actual situation of their respective poffeffions, or from their comparative strength.

A vehement debate arose on the last of these resolutions; the merits of the peace were anew discussed; and the coalition, now openly avowed and gloried in, again underwent the severest crimination, and the most poignant ridicule. Lord North, elated with the profpect not merely of perfect impunity, but of a re-admiffion to the power and emoluments of office, ventured to express, in high language, "his amazement at the reflections which had been thrown out against him. He did not, he said, repent of his conduct while a minister; conscious of his own innocence, he bade defiance to censure or punishment. Proud

as

as he was of the coalition to which he had been invited, it should be understood that he was not disposed to make any facrifice of his public principles. He dreaded no accufation, and he dared his enemies, whatever might be their abilities, their influence, and their character, to be decifive, and to proceed against him"-expreffions surely these, confidering the calamities brought upon the nation by the gross and flagrant misconduct of this minifter, in the higheft degree indecent and infolent. The question being put, was carried against the ministry by a majority of 207 voices to 190.

From this time it was obvious that some change in administration must inevitably take place, but the court hoped that a partial change might fuffice. Various conferences were held on the fubject of a new arrangement; but the COALITION, knowing their own strength, were determined not to deviate in any point from their preconcerted plan. More than a month pafsed in a kind of ministerial interregnum. At length Mr. Coke, member for Norfolk, moved an address to the king, " that he would be gracioufly pleased to take into confideration the distracted and unfettled state of the empire, and condescend to a compliance with the wishes of this house, by forming an administration entitled to the confidence of his people." This was unanimously carried, and presented to the king by fuch members of the house as were privy counsellors. His majefty replied, " that it was his earnest defire to do every thing in his power to comply with the wishes of his faithful commons." This answer not giving fatisfaction, lord Surry moved in a few days another address, framed in very strong and pointed terms" afsuring his majesty that all delays in a matter of this moment have an inevitable tendency to weaken the authority of his government; and most humbly entreating his majesty that he will take fuch measures towards this object as may quiet the anxiety and apprehenfion of his faithful subjects." But Mr. Pitt de. claring claring that he had resigned his office of chancellor of the exchequer, and that any resolution or address relative to a new arrangement of administration was unnecessary, lord Surry confented to withdraw his motion: and the minifters, who, reluctant to quit the luxury of power, had lingered in office to the last moment, now gave place to their determined and victorious antagonists.

The duke of Portland was placed at the head of the treasury; and lord John Cavendish was re-appointed chancellor of the exchequer; lord NORTH and Mr. Fox were nominated JOINT SECRETARIES of STATE, the first for the home, the latter for the foreign department; lord Keppel, who had recently resigned on account of his difapprobation of the peace, was again placed at the head of the admiralty; lord Stormont was created prefident of the council; and lord Carlifle was advanced to the post of lord privy seal. The great feal was put into commiffion-the chief juftice Loughborough, fo distinguished for political verfatility, " who could change and change and yet Go ON," being declared first lord commiffioner; the earl Northington was appointed to the government of Ireland; and Mr. Barke reinstated in his former poft of paymaster of the forces. Of the seven cabinet minifters, the majority, who also occupied the most important pofts of administration, were of the old whig or Rockingham party;-Lord Stormont, lord North, and lord Carlifle, contenting themselves rather with a participation of honors and emoluments than of power.

Notwithstanding the admiffion of these tory lords therefore into the ministry, it could not but be acknowledged, as to all the grand purposes of government, a WHIG administration-more especially when the ability, the vigor, and the decifion of its efficient leader were justly and impartially estimated. But, most unfortunately, no impartial eftimate of the merits of this novel and heterogeneous arrangement could be hoped. The PUBLIC CONFIDENCE

was

was loft, and universal experience confirms the obfervation of a celebrated writer, " that the public confidence once loft, is NEVER completely regained." The coalition was the theme of univerfal and paffionate execration. All those bitter and opprobrious expreffions of contumely and reproach against the late minister lord North, with which the speeches of Mr. Fox and Mr. Burke had been for fo many years filled, were now recalled to the general recollection, and excited a degree of anger, indignation, and amazement, which had not been equalled fince the memorable and infamous defection of Mr. Pulteney. When lord Chatham, in one of his last speeches in parliament, " wished that the VENGEANCE of the NATION might fall HEAVY upon the MINISTERS;" when Mr. Fox declared, " that he would purfue even to the SCAFFOLD the authors of the PUBLIC RUIN;" and when Mr. Burke affirmed, "that he had articles of IMPEACHMENT actually framed against lord North, whom he stigmatized as a STATE CRIMINAL;" great allowance ought doubtless to be made for that warmth and ardor of patriotic zeal, which might prompt them to exceed the too precise limits of a strict and fober difcretion. The late ministers, it must be acknowledged, had done nothing for which they could juftly incur legal punishment. But a parliamentary vote of cenfure and condemnation of those measures and principles which had brought the nation to the brink of perdition, was eagerly wished for by the independent and intelligent part of the public; and fome fatisfactory affurance anxiously expected, for the removal of men so unqualified for the task of government, from his majesty's perfon and councils FOR EVER;-fending them into ignominious retirement, with the CURSES of their COUNTRY upon their

HEADS.

Lord Chatham, on receiving not long before his decease, repeated and high-ftrained profeffions of amity and regard from lord Bute, apparently intended to cover fome infidious