with America, and the Eaft India Company required the immediate aid of parliament both with regard to its foreign and domestic concerns.

IV. Such was the ftate of public affairs, when Mr. Coke, member for Norfolk, moved, on the 24th of March, an address to the king, "That he would be gracioufly pleafed to take into confideration the diftracted and unfettled ftate of the empire, and condefcend to a compliance with the wishes of this houfe, by forming an administration entitled to the confidence of his people." This addrefs was unanimoufly carried, and prefented to the king, by fuch members of the house as were privy counfellors. 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 anfwer not being deemed fufficiently explicit, lord Surrey moved, in a few days after, another address, framed in very ftrong and pointed terms, "Afluring 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 intreating his majesty that he will take fuch measures towards this object as may quiet the anxiety and apprehenfion of his faithful fubjects." But Mr. Pitt, declaring that he had refigned his office of chancellor of the exchequer, and that any refolution or addrefs relative to a new arrangement of administration was unneceffary, Lord Surrey 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.

V. 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 fecretaries of state, the first for the home, the latter for the foreign department; lord Keppel, who had recently refigned on account of his difapprobation of the peace, was again placed at the head of the admiralty; lord Stormont was created prefident of

the

A. D. 1783. the council; and lord Carlifle was advanced to the post of lord privy feal. The great feal was put into commiffion: the chief juftice Loughborough, fo diftinguished for political versatility, "Who could change and change and yet go on," being declared firft lord commiffioner; the earl of Northington was appointed to the government of Ireland; and Mr. Burke reinftated in his former poft of paymafter of the forces. Of the feven cabinet minifters, the majority, who also occupied the most important pofts of adminiftration, were of the old whig, or Rockingham party. Lord Stormont, lord North, and lord Carlisle, contenting themselves rather with a participation of honors and emoluments, than of power.

VI. Notwithstanding, therefore, the admiffion of those tory lords into the miniftry, 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 juftly and impartially estimated. But moft unfortunately no impartial eftimate of the merits of this novel and heterogeneous arrangement could be hoped. The coalition was indeed defended by its friends as a measure effential to the falvation of the country, and which the extraordinary difficulty and danger of the times not only called for, but rendered highly meritorious; but the more general opinion condemned the coalition, as a fhamelefs facrifice of honor, confiftency, and rectitude, on the altar of ambition, intereft, and revenge. A junction of perfons whose principles were radically hoftile, and which no effort of art, or length of time could affimilate, was not a measure likely to conciliate universal esteem; and though the coalition were enabled to fupport fuccefsfully the most violent conteft for power that perhaps is to be found in the political history of this country, and ultimately to wreft the government from their antagonists, yet it operated to diminish public confidence in their measures; and therefore, while it obtained them a complete conqueft, it fullied the honor, and deprived them of the more folid advantages of victory. VII.

VII. One of the first measures of the new miniftry was to expedite the paffing of a bill before pending, "for the purpose of preventing any writs of error or appeal from the kingdom of Ireland, from being received by any of his majesty's courts in Great Britain; and of renouncing in exprefs terms, the legislative authority of the British parliament in relation to Ireland." This bill was a neceffary confequence of the general plan of Irish emancipation; for the mere repeal of the declaratory act did not, in the contemplation of the common law, make any difference whatever in the relative fitua tion of the two countries.

VIII. Mr. Fox loft no time in attempting to remove every obftacle which opposed the opening an immediate intercourse with America; and early in April he moved for liberty to bring in a "Bill for preventing any manifefto, certificate, or other document being required from any fhips belonging to the United States of America, arriving from thence at any port of this kingdom; or upon entering or clearing out from any port of this kingdom, for any port within the United States." The bill in its original shape, was fuppofed to go too far, by extending an indulgence that might be made fubfervient to the practice of fmuggling; an amendment was therefore adopted, limiting for a certain time the powers to be vested in the king, after which it was carried through the commons, and with fome flight opposition passed the lords.

IX. The very critical fituation of our affairs in the eaft next engaged the attention of parliament. The houfe of commons had appointed a felect committee to examine into the ftate of the British dominions in India, In the profecution of this important enquiry, it was difcovered that the administration of juftice in the provinces of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa, had been perverted to the bafe purposes of peculation, plunder, and oppreffion, and that corruption, fraud, and injuftice, pervaded all the departments of the compary's government in India.— Thefe alarming difcoveries produced a general unity of

opinion

This

opinion amongst public men of every defcription, on the immediate neceffity of taking fome effectual step, to refcué the British name from difgrace, to restore to the natives the pure adminiftration of mild and equal laws, and to fecure and improve our territorial poffeffions in India. X. With this view, the lord advocate for Scotland introduced a bill into the house of commons. gentleman was peculiarly qualified for the undertaking. He had by indefatigable industry, and long and laborious investigation, made hinfelf completely mafter of the subject. His system had for its object the establishment of a government in India, better adapted to the difpofitions, habits, and prejudices of the inhabitants, than any hitherto attempted. But as this bill was afterwards fuperfeded by one from another quarter, more extensive in its views, it is here unneceffary to detail its regulations.

XI. To a reprefentation of the defects and abuses of Indian government, fucceeded in a few days a disclosure of the ruined ftate of the company's finances, by a bill introduced by Sir Henry Fletcher," For fufpending the payments of the company now due to the royal exchequer, and for enabling them to borrow the fum of three hundred thousand pounds for their farther relief."

XII. Lord John Cavendish declared this bill to be only a branch of a larger plan; and that it was brought forward feparately, in order to answer an exigency which did not admit of delay. His lordship viewed the territorial acquifitions of the company as a fruitful fource of grievance. "It would," he obferved," have been more for their advantage, had they confined themselves to the character of merchants. As thefe acquifitions, however, had been made, they must be preferved, and it was his opinion, that the relief neceffary to the company should be granted."

XIII. In the upper houfe, Lord Fitzwilliam dwelt on the defperate fituation of the Eaft India company, and affirmed, "that, unless the bill paffed, their bankruptcy would be inevitable. The expenditure of their fettle

ments

ments had far exceeded their revenue; bills had been drawn upon them which they were unable to answer without a temporary supply, fo that the existence of the company depended upon the fuccess of the bill;" which accordingly paffed both houses with little difficulty or oppofition.

XIV. Here it may not be improper to remark, that about this period, intelligence was received of an event, that opened a profpect of a favorable change to our affairs in the east. This was peace being concluded with the Mahrattas. This advantage to Great Britain, and to the East India company, was foon followed by the death of Hyder Ally, a man, eminently diftinguished, for an enterprifing spirit, refources, and vigor of mind; who entertained the moft rooted averfion to the English name; and who by his power, courage, and military fkill, had long proved himself, the most daring and formidable of all the company's enemies.

XV. On the 16th of April, the chancellor of the exchequer brought forward his plan for raising twelve millions by loan. The most remarkable circumstances attending it were, that the money borrowed was funded at three per cent. at the extravagant rate of one hundred and fifty pounds ftock, for every hundred pound sterling; fo that an artificial capital of fix millions, was created above the fum actually paid into the exchequer. The evils refulting from this mode of funding were exposed with much ability by Mr. Pitt in the lower house, and the earl of Shelburne in the upper, but with no effect. XVI. The former motion of Mr. Pitt for an enquiry into the ftate of the reprefentation being negatived, he now brought forward (May 7th) a specific plan for adding one hundred members to the counties, and abolishing a proportionable number of the burgage-tenure, and other small and obnoxious boroughs. The revival of this important fubject, which had deeply agitated the public mind, produced an animated debate; in the course of which, the difcordant fentiments of minifters did not fail to awaken afresh the refentment of the house against the ill-ftarred coalition." XVII.