measure as to fay it originated in the poverty of the Company, which, as my Noble Friend rightly remarks, was the smallest reason to its adoption, and which opinion is not, as the Right Honourable Gentleman infinuates, "fhifting," but recognifing and recording the true grounds of the Bill. If any mifunderstanding then has hitherto taken place upon this head, it will, I truft, ceafe henceforth; and fo odious a libel upon this country will not pafs current, as that fordid motives only induced the government of England to that which we were bound to do, as politicians, as Chriftians, and as men, by every confideration which makes a nation refpectable, great, and glorious!

Having vindicated the Bill from this afperfion, and founded it upon that bafis which every honeft and fenfible man in England must approve, I may be allowed to fay that fome regard may be had even to the mean and mercenary upon this subject (a portion of whom we have here, in common with all other countries.) Will fuch men endure with temper a constant drain upon this kingdom, for the fake of this monopolizing Corporation? Will thofe, for inftance, who clamour against a twopenny tax, afford, with good humour, million after million to the Eaft-India Company? The Sinking Fund is at this mo.. ment a million the worfe for the deficiencies of the Company, and as the Noble Lord (Lord John) fays, an extent must in three weeks arreft their property, if Parliament does not interpose or enable them to discharge a part of their debt to the Crown. Let thofe, therefore, who think the commerce ought to be inftantly feparated from the dominion, (were that at this time poffible) and who think it ought to be left wholly in the prefent hands, reflect, that the formation of a vigorous fyftem of government for India is not more incumbent upon us, than the establishment of the eastern trade upon fuch principles of folidity and fitnefs, as fhall give fome just hopes that the public may be speedily relieved from the

monstrous

monftrous pressure of constantly supporting the indigence of the Company.

I have spoke of myself very often in the course of what I have faid this night, and must speak still more frequently in the course of what I have to fay: the House will fee this aukward task is rendered indispensable, infinitely more having been said concerning me, during the debate, than concerning the queftion, which is the proper fubject of agitation. The Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) fays, that nothing ever happened to give him an impreffion of my character, or to prevent a mutual confidence. He fays rightly; there have been interchanges of civility, and amicable habits between us, in which I trust I have given him no caufe to complain. But after pronouncing a brilliant eulogy upon me and my capacity to ferve the country, the Honourable Gentleman confiders me at the fame time the most dangerous man in the kingdom, (Mr. Pitt faid across the House, "dangerous only "from this measure." To which Mr. Fox inftantly made this reply) I call upon the Houfe to attend to the Honourable Gentleman; he thinks me dangerous only from this measure, and confeffes, that hitherto he has feen nothing in my conduc to obliterate his good opinion. Compare this with his oppofition during the laft and the prefent feffion. Let every man reflect, that up to this moment the Honourable Gentleman deemed me worthy of confidence, and competent to my fituation in the State. I thank him for the support he has afforded to the Minifter he thus efteemed, and fhall not prefs the advantage he gives me, farther than leaving to himself to reconcile his practice and his doctrine in the best manner

he can.

The Honourable Gentleman could not for one night pafs by the Coalition, yet I think he might have chosen a fitter time to express his indignation against the Noble Lord (Lord North) than the present moment. An attack upon the Noble Lord in his prefence would bear a more liberal colour; and the

:

cause of his abfence now through indifpofition, would furely rather difarm than irritate a generous enemy. There are diftinctions in hatred, and the direft foes upon fuch occafions moderate their averfion. The Coalition is, however,' a fruitful topic, and the power of traducing it, which the weakest and meanest creatures in the country enjoy and exercife, is of course equally vested in men of rank and parts, though every man of parts and rank would not be apt to participate the privilege. Upon the Coalition, the Honourable Gentleman is welcome to employ his ingenuity, but upon another fubject alluded to him, I fhall beg leave to advife, nay even to inftruct him.

In what fyftem of ethics will the Honourable Gentleman find the precept taught of ripping up old fores, and revivng animofities among individuals, of which the parties themfelves retain no memory? This kind of practice may incur a much worse charge than weakness of understanding, and fubject a man to much greater imputations than are commonly applied to political miftakes or party violence. The foundness of the heart may be liable to fufpicion, and the moral character be in danger of fuffering by it, in the opinion of mankind. To cover the heats, and obliterate the fenfe of former quarrels between two perfons, is a very distinguished virtue: to renew the subject of fuch differences, and attempt the revival of fuch difputes, deserves a name which I could give it, if that Hon. Gentleman had not forgotten himself, and fallen into some fuch deviation. He values himself, I doubt not, too much, again to make a fimilar flip, and muft even feel thankful to me for the counsel I thus take the liberty to give him.

An Honourable Gentleman under the gallery, (Mr. Martin) to whom an abufe of the Coalition feems a fort of luxury, wishes that a ftarling were at the right hand of the chair to cry out difgraceful Coalition! Sir, upon this subject I fhall fay but few words:

The calamitous fituation of this country required an Administration whofe ftability could give it a tone of firmnefs with

foreign

foreign nations, and promise fome hope of reftoring the faded glories of the country. Such an Administration could not be formed without fome junction of parties; and if former differences were to be an infurmountable barrier to union, no chance of falvation remained for the country, as it is well known, that four public men could not be found, who had not, at one time or other, taken opposite fides in politics. The great cause of difference between us and the Noble Lord in the blue ribband no longer exifted; his perfonal character stood high; and thinking it fafer to truft him than those who had before deceived us, we preferred to unite with the Noble Lord. A similar junction, in 1757, against which a similar clamour was raifed, faved the empire from ruin, and raised it above the rivalship of all its enemies. The country, when we came into office, bore not a very aufpicious complexion; yet, Sir, I do not despair of feeing it once again resume its confequence in the scale of nations, and make as splendid a figure as ever, Those who have afferted the impoffibility of our agreeing with the Noble Lord and his friends, were falfe prophets; for events have belied their augury. We have differed like men, and like men we have agreed.

A body of the best and honefteft men in this House, who ferve their country without any other reward than the glory of the difinterested discharge of their public duty, approved that junction, and fanctify the measure by their cordial support.

Such, Sir, is this Coalition, which the ftate of the country rendered indifpenfable; and for which the history of every country records a thousand precedents, yet to this the term difgraceful is applied. Is it not extraordinary, then, that Gentlemen fhould be under fuch spells of falfe delufion, as not to fee, that if calling it disgraceful makes it so, these epithets operate with equal force against themselves. If the coalition be difgraceful, what is the anti-coalition? When I fee the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Pitt) furrounded by the early objects of his political, nay his hereditary hatred, and hear him

revile the Coalition, I am loft in the astonishment how men can be fo blind to their own fituation, as to attempt to wound us in this particular point, poffeffed as we are of the power of returning the fame blow, with the vulnerable part ftaring us directly in the face. If the Honourable Gentleman under the gallery wishes that a ftarling were perched upon the right-hand of the chair, I tell him, that the wifh is just as reasonable, to have another ftarling upon the left-hand of the chair, to chirp up coalition against coalition, and fo harmonize their mutual difgrace, if difgrace there be.

With the fame confiftency, an Honourable Gentleman calls us deferters us! a few cold and difaffected members fall off, then turn about, and, to palliate their own defection, call the body of the army deferters! We have not deferted; here we are a firm phalanx. Deferted indeed we have been in the moment of difafter, but never dejected, and feldom complaining, Some of those who rofe upon our wreck, and who eagerly grafped that power which we had the labour of erecting, now call us deferters. We retort the term with juft indignation. Yet whilft they prefume we have the attributes of men, they would expect us to have the obduracy of favages. They would have our refentments infatiate, our rancour eternal. In our opinion, an oblivion of useless animofity is much more noble; and in that, the conduct of our accufers goes hand in hand with us. But I beg the Houfe, and I wish the world to obferve, that although, like them, we have abandoned our enmities, we have not, like them, relinquished our friendships: but there are a fet of men, who, from the mere vanity of having confequence as decifive voters, object to all stable Government; these men hate to fee an Administration fo fixed, as not to be moveable by their vote. They affume their dignity on the mere negative merit of not accepting places, and in the pride of this felf-denial, and the vanity of fancied independence, they object to every fyftem that has a folid basis, because their confequence is unfelt. Of fuch men I cannot be

the