nefs of the honorable gentleman about our places. If however a change muft take place, and a new miniftry is to be formed and fupported, not by the confidence of this house or the public, but the fole authority of the crown, I for one, fhall not envy the honorable gentleman his fituation. From that moment I put in my claim to a monopoly of whig principles. The glorious caufe of freedom, of independence, and of the conftitution, is no longer his, but mine. In this I have lived, in this I will die. It has borne me up under every afperfion to which my character has been fubjected. The refentments of the mean, and the averfion of the great; the rancour of the vindictive, and the fubtilty of the base; the dereliction of friends, and the efforts of enemies, have not all diverted me from the line of conduct which I had originally chofen." After an animated debate the house divided upon the queftion, when Mr. Baker's refolution was carried by a majority of 73.

XLII. This conteft between the crown and the commons presented to the public a fcene truly novel and interefting. Prerogative and privilege at war, is one of thofe alarming events, which the wifdom of preceding reigns had taken care to prevent. Indeed the power of the house of commons as the popular branch of the legiflature, had been fo fully admitted on all hands, that it had long obtained the character of omnipotent. The crown therefore boldly entering the lifts with the commons, exhibited a conduct without example in the annals of the present royal family. Since the revolution, the kings of England, fatisfied with the ample revenues of their civil lift, with the complaisance and attention of their ministers, and with that extensive and over-ruling influence which enabled them to accomplish their views, appeared to have quietly acquiefced in this limitation of their authority. To refume a claim that seemed already to have been yielded; to enter into open war with the house of commons; and to bid defiance to their refolutions, was certainly a conduct not eafily to be reconciled with the principles of the British conftitution; and which required

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required no uncommon firmness and refolution to fupport. On the other hand the fituation of the prince was critical. He had gone perhaps too far to be able to recede. He had certainly shown much displeasure against his minifters, and that too in a ftyle rather of hoftility than of conciliation. To receive them again into his confidence, was to facrifice the feelings of personal dignity and perfonal pique, to the benefit of the community. It was to do something more; it was to lower the tone of prerogative, a conceffion that few princes ever chearfully made to the wishes of their people. To have carried the question to a violent extreme, and afterwards fubmit to a recantation, would have been deemed a signal dishonor, an indelible difgrace. Befides thefe difficulties, which fuch a cafe muft at all times have involved, there was one peculiar to the prefent crifis. The minifters were committed upon their Indian fyftem, and could not without a total facrifice of personal independence and the reputation of principle, abandon the fcheme. In the mean time the fovereign had declared himself in the most peremp tory terms adverfe to the measure; and under fuck circumstances, it would have been extremely difficult, if not impoffible, to discover a medium to preferve unwounded the honor of both.

XLIII. An entire change of adminiftration was therefore at all hazards determined upon; and accordingly at midnight on the 18th of December, a royal meflage was fent to the fecretaries of ftate, demanding the feals of their feveral departments, and at the fame time directing that they should be delivered to the fovereign by the under secretaries, as a personal interview would be difagreeable. Early next morning letters of difmiffion, figned Temple, were fent to the other members of the cabinet. In a few days after, Mr. Pitt was declared first lord of the treafury, and chancellor of the exchequer, the marquis of Carmarthen and Mr. Thomas Townshend, created lord Sydney, were nominated fecretaries of ftate; lord Thurlow was reinstated as lord chancellor; earl Gower as prefident of the council; the duke of Rutland was con

ftituted

ftituted lord privy feal; lord Howe placed at the head of the admiralty; and the duke of Richmond of the ordi nance. The earl of Northington was recalled from his government of Ireland, to which lord Temple, who had retained the feals of secretary only three days, was again appointed to fucceed.

XLIV. On the 22d of December the house of commons, being in a committee on the ftate of the nation, Mr. Erfkine moved, "That an address be presented to the king, ftating, that alarming reports had gone forth of an intended diffolution of parliament, and humbly representing to his majefty, the inconveniences and dangers of a prorogation or diffolution in the present conjuncture; and entreating the fovereign to hearken to the advice of that house, and not to the fecret advice of particular perfons who might have private interefts of their own, feparate from the true interefts of the king and people.'

This address was carried without a divifion, and on the 24th was prefented to the fovereign who returned the following answer. "Gentlemen, it has been my constant object to employ the authority intrufted 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 wifhes and opinions of my faithful commons. I agree with you in thinking that the fupport of the public credit and revenue must demand your most earnest and vigilant care. The state of the East Indies is alfo an object of as much delicacy and importance as can exercise the wisdom and juftice of parliament. I truft you will proceed in these confiderations with all convenient speed, after such an adjournment as the present circumstances may seem to require; and I affure you, that I fhall not interrupt your meeting, by any exercise of my prerogative either of prorogation or diffolution."

1784. XLV. The house now with tolerable fatisfaction adjourned for the ufual Christmas recefs to the 10th of January, 1784; on which day the committee on the state of the nation was resumed; and several refolutions were brought forward by Mr. Fox, and agreed to by the

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house;

A. D. 1784. houfe; prohibiting the lords of the treafury from affenting to the acceptance of the company's bills from India; forbidding alfo the iffue of any of the public money after a prorogation or diffolution of parliament, unlefs the act of appropriation fhall have previously paffed; and ordering accounts to be laid before the house of the monies already iflued. These refolutions were followed by a motion from the earl of Surrey, "1. That in the prefent fituation of his majesty's dominions it was peculiarly neceffary that there fhould be an administration that had the confidence of the public. 2. That the late changes in his majesty's councils were accompanied with circumstances new and extraordinary, and fuch as did not conciliate the confidence of that houfe. On this motion the house divided, but it was carried in the affirmative by 196 to 142 voices.

XLVI. On the 16th of January a refolution was moved by lord Charles Spencer, "That the continuance of the prefent minifters in trufts of the highest importance and refponfibility, was contrary to the principles of the conftitution, and injurious to the interefts of the king and people." Upon this question the houfe divided, ayes 205, noes 184; fo that the anti-ministerial majority was reduced by defection from 54 to 21 voices.

XLVII. About this time the chancellor of the exchequer introduced into the house, a bill for the better government of India, on principles which left the commercial concerns of the company in their own hands; and establifhed a board of controul, confifting of certain commiffioners appointed by the king, poffeffing a negative on the proceedings of the company in all matters of government. On the motion of commitment, this bill was loft by 222 against 214-fo that the oppofition majority was now diminished by an ominous defection to 8.

XLVIII. Whatever hopes the prefent cabinet might form, from this flattering acceffion of parliamentary ftrength, they were ftill more encouraged by the addreffes of thanks to the king for the removal of his late minifters, which now began to pour in from every quarter of

the

the kingdom. In this the city of London took the lead, and in their addrefs they fay, your faithful citizens lately beheld with infinite concern the progrefs of a meafure which equally tended to encroach on the right of your majesty's crown-to annihilate the chartered rights of the East India company—and to raise a power unknown to this free government, and highly inimical to its fafety. As this dangerous measure was warmly fupported by your majesty's late ministers, we heartily rejoice in their difiniffion, and humbly thank your majefty for exerting your prerogative in a manner fo falutary and conftitutional." And concluding in a ftyle widely different from the ufual tenor of their addreffes on former occafions, they fay, " Highly fenfible of your majesty's paternal care and affection for your people, we pray the Almighty that you may long reign in peace over a free, an happy, and united nation."

XLIX. Though the difmiffal of the late minifters originated in a caufe merely accidental, and on the part of the crown from a sudden and strong refentment at a supposed invasion of the prerogative; yet the monarch acquired a popularity by the measure that effaced for a time all recollection of former difagreements; and elevated the loyalty of the people to a degree of ardor, which court flattery itself cannot but acknowledge was at least commenfurate with the merits of the fovereign. However grateful this circumftance might prove to the royal feelings, and however acceptable to the minifters; it ftill failed in fecuring to government the advantage moft effential to the interefts of the country, an afcendancy in the house of commons. Nor could the oppofition expect to poffefs long the ground they now occupied. Every gazette threatened them with three or four addreffes of thanks for their late removal from power; their numbers were daily falling off, and under fuch circumftances the moft fanguine could not hope for ultimate fuccefs. Both parties therefore alarmed at the novel and dangerous fituation of the country, feemed at length difpofed to paufe; and a number of refpectable independent members having expreffed a strong defire, that the great leaders of

both