to the charge, only fee the fmall degree of truth that belongs to it. I have been in a most laborious and very expensive office for twelve years, without asking for a fingle emolument, either for myself or my family: the last year his Majefty was graciously pleafed to fend for me, and' prefent me with the place I now hold, the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports. I accepted it, but it is well known, that I refufed to accept it with the lucrative falary which the Noble Perfon who held it before me received for it; the falary which I receive, and expressly at my own de fire receive, is that lower falary which had been paid previous to the office having been beftowed on my predeceffor, I really do not know what the income of it is exactly, because I have not inquired what it is, but I believe it to be about a thousand a year. I have, however, told his Majefty that I am ready to refign it, whenever I am called upon for that purpose; and that readiness I fhall continue to adhere to. Another charge too of rapacioufnefs, which has been mentioned on a former occa-fion, is, that I have procured a reverfionship, for the lives of two of my fons, in the Customs. The charge is not true that I fought the reverfionship, though it is true that I accepted it. Let Gentlemen confider this reverfionship, it is the very fame that had been given to Mr. Pelham on his first coming into government, and being appointed to the very office which I now hold. It will be worth a thoufand a year, and is granted on the lives of two of my younger fons. The third benefit my family has received, is a place which lately fell vacant, in the gift of the Treafury, and is of so trifling a value, that several of my predeceffors in office have thought it beneath the acceptance of any part of their family; because they looked much higher, and to far greater emoluments. The place is worth 500l. a year, and as I thought it fufficient for my fon, he has, with the confent of my brethren at the Board, been appointed to it. This is all the benefit that I and my family have reaped, in confequence of my holding the office I now poffefs. I repeat it, that I have not asked for, or fought after, any one of

my

my employments. I am ready to refign the Wardenship of the Cinque Ports; and when I go out of office, (which I affure the Honourable Gentleman I am and long have been as defirous of quitting, as he can poffibly be of having me difmiffed) after my twelve years laborious fervice, my family will reft in poffeffion of fifteen hundred a year. This, every Gentleman must know, however greater the merits of my predeceffors in office may have been (and that they were much greater, no man is more ready to allow than myself) is infinitely and out of all comparison lefs than any one of them have received. I truft Gentlemen will not think I have fhewn a very avaricious difpofition, or have been eager to grafp at reverfions or emoluments, as has been fo often afferted, when it is recollected, that the whole I am poffeffed of is fifteen hundred pounds a year for my children, and that mine is a pretty numerous family. [At these words his Lordship ftruck his breast, and burft into a flood of tears, from the casual recollection that one of his fons lay dead at that moment. The House touched at the circumftance, called for the question, but his Lordship. recovering himself defired leave to go on.] No part of my conduct, while I have been in office, warrants the charge of avarice: naked I came into the world, and naked I fhall go out of the world: I was not a rich man when I was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, nor fhall I go out of office a rich man and I defy any one to prove, that I have, in the finalleft inftance, acted with a view to aggrandize myself, or any one that belongs to me; or that enriching myself, or those that belong to me, has ever been my favourite object.

Lord North, June 21, 1779.

A MINISTER ought not to be a Minifter, after he is fufpected; he should be like Cæfar's wife, not only free from guilt, but even from fufpicion. If the House fhould withdraw their confidence from me, it would be my duty, without waiting for an Addrefs for my removal, to wait upon my Sovereign,

and delivering up to him the Seal of my office, fay-" Sir, I "have long ferved you with diligence, with zeal, and with "fidelity, but fuccefs has not crowned my endeavours: your "Parliament have withdrawn from me their confidence, and "all my declarations to them are fufpected; therefore, Sir, let me refign to you thofe employments, which I ought not to "keep longer than I can be ferviceable to your Majesty and

tr

your fubjects; and beg you will beftow them upon some "other, who, with greater fuccefs, though not with greater "zeal or fidelity, may give more fatisfaction to your Majesty "and your Parliament."

Lord North, Feb. 27, 1782.

I AM forry to differ in many points from my Honourable Friend who spoke laft, who undoubtedly may be said to be independent, as far as a perfon ftanding fingular in his opinion is independent of every perfon who has argued on either fide of the queftion. My Honourable Friend has conceived that a Right Honourable Gentleman on the floor (Mr. Fox) intends to cram the India Bill, under another name, down the throats of the House of Lords. The Honourable Gentleman is miftaken in calling him the Right Honourable Secretary, for forry I am to fay, that to the misfortune of this country, it is a name which no longer belongs to him. But I will call him by a name which I truft will ever belong to him, a name which it is my pride to boast of fince I knew him beft; I will henceforth call him by the name of my Right Honourable Friend by that word I mean in future to defcribe him, and I hope that by that name he will be in future known in the House. Our intimate connection was founded in principles of honour; when the great points on which we differed were no more, we thought we might act together with cordiality and without inconfiftency. We were not mistaken; we tried the experiment and it fucceeded; no meanness, no difhonour, no jealoufy difcovered itfelf; all was inviolable adherence to

honour

honour and good faith on one part; all was confidence on the other. No mean conceffions were made on either fide. I appeal to my Right Honourable Friend, if ever I facrificed any one opinion which I formerly feriously held upon principle, unless where reafon and argument might have pointed out the propriety of it: and in justice to my Right Honourable Friend I muft declare, that he never facrificed to me any principle which he ever held when in oppofition to my government. The neceffity of the State called for that Coalition, which has been so often called a curfed Coalition; nay, the very circumstances of the present day demonftrate that neceffity; for where could an Administration be formed without a Coalition? There were at prefent but two Cabinet Minifters; and if Coalition was a curfed thing, then this Miniftry of two men is a cursed Ministry, for it is formed in a Coalition of two perfons who differed formerly on effential points. The difference, however, of the two Coalitions is this: The Coalition between my Right Honourable Friend and myself, was a Coalition of whole parties blended into one, for the purpose of forming a ftable and permanent Government: whereas the Coalition between the prefent First Lord of the Treasury and the Lord Prefident [Earl Gower] is a Coalition of shreds, of ends and remnants; a Coalition of fmall parts of parties, but not of the parties themselves. Why then is it the fashion to call' the one a curfed Coalition, and yet take no notice of the other? I cannot tell, unless it is that one is fufficiently strong to form a strong Government, while the former cannot mufter more as yet than two Cabinet Minifters. The experience of time has juftified the Coalition, and rendered it a bleffing to the country. When Parliament put an end to my Adminiftration by the Address against the American war, it was fucceeded by another which appeared to be strong; but it carried in its. own bofom the feeds of its own weakness, in the difunion which appeared in feveral parts of it; which foon fhewed itself by their splitting afunder, and a feceffion of a part of it from

the

the Cabinet: the next Administration was but weak, because it was ill connected; and it had loft the support of those who formerly acted with it: the members of it therefore fell off one after another, till lofing the confidence of the House, the poor remnant of it was obliged to yield to the voice of Parliament and retire. From this experience it appeared necef fary, for the good of the State, that a permanent Government fhould be formed, and it was clear that it could not poffibly be formed; unless a Coalition fhould take place among thofe, who though once enemies upon points which could no longer come into debate, might act together very cordially in every other refpect: fuch a Coalition was formed; but then it was charged with having feized upon Government: this is indeed a charge that I do not understand, for the public waited for fix weeks for a Ministry; and every means were tried for a new one, without the affiftance of the Coalition; but failing in every atempt, the Minifters all quitted the Cabinet before the Coalition were fent for. The Cabinet was then empty; fo that if we feized upon it, it was by marching in after the garrifon which ought to have defended it had fled; and who as they were going out, cried, "What a terrible curfed thing

is this Coalition, that is driving us from our fituations." But if we became poffeffed of Government, we are at worst charged with having carried it by storm, bravely, in the face of the enemy, not by fap; we carried on our advances regularly and above ground, in view of the foe; not by mining in the dark, and blowing up the fort before the garrifon knew there was an intention to attack it. It has been faid on a former day, that a starling ought to be brought, placed in this House, and taught to speak the words, "Coalition! Coalition! curfed "Coalition!" Now, for my part, I think, that while there is in this Houfe an Honourable Gentleman who never fails, let what will be the subject of debate, to take an opportunity to curfe the Coalition, I think there will be no occasion for the ftarling and while he continues to speak by rote, and without any