with him, and I am content that all the reft fhould vote with me. Nay, Sir, if there is any man in this House who in his confcience does not think, that this resolution serves to name the Right Honourable Gentleman and his colleague, the Minifters and the only Minifters of this country, I am content that all fuch perfons, to a man, fhould vote against me. I feel on this ground very fure of finding myself to-night in a moft refpectable majority indeed.

Sir, I have no perfonal objections or diflike to the Noble Lord or the Right Honourable Gentleman; it is upon clear conftitutional grounds that I refift this vote, and I call upon the independent part of the House that they will stand forth and maintain the character, the moderation, for thus I will venture to fay they will most effectually maintain the true confequence of this British Houfe of Commons. Let the House look well to its conduct this night, for this night it is about to decide what is the Conftitution of this country. The af fumption of power and privileges which did not belong to it has once proved the overthrow of this Conftitution; we are' verging towards the fame precipice again, we are claiming to ourselves the right of appointing Ministers, we are disclaiming the nomination of his Majefty, without caufe and without trial: let us confider this question, I fay, without favour of affection, for we are this night deciding on the Conftitution.

Mr. Henry Dundas, Jan. 16, 1784.

THERE are feveral perfons, ufeful and deferving members of fociety, who are unfortunately, at this time, deprived of the happiness and comfort of enjoying their hereditary poffeffions. Those unhappy men have fuffered from the active part which their ancestors or themselves have taken in a late alarming rebellion, that had convulfed the empire, and nearly overthrown the prefent Royal Family; but those feuds and animofities are now entirely done away, and I can with truth and justice affirm, that his prefent Majefty has not in his dominions a more

brave and loyal people than thofe who poffefs the mountains of the north. They have frequently given the most distinguished and memorable proofs of their prowess-their affection to their country-and their loyalty to the best of Sovereigns, by expending their treasures, and often pouring forth their blood for the defence and glory of Great-Britain.

Surely, therefore, that people who have called forth their military kill for the honour of their countrymen, who have often repelled the enemy, who have often added new luftre to our former glorious atchievements, merit at least some small degree of acknowledgment and gratitude from their fellowfubjects. Their caufe of former mifunderstanding is now no more; and as they have made themselves illuftrious in the field, they claim the protection of the British Administration in the Cabinet. I need hardly mention, that the people I allude to are those hardy fons of Britain, who inhabited the mountains 'in the Highlands of Scotland; a race of men to whom an illuftrious Statesman, in a former war, has paid the highest tribute of applaufe for their military prowess.

I am proud to have been the firft who called forth thofe refources from the bleak wilds and mountainous parts of the North, as they have been the means of restoring peace and tranquillity to our dominions, when most other refources had been applied in vain. I, like the illustrious statesman to whom I allude, am not too partial to this or that part of the country, but freely confefs, that I am ftimulated from motives of juftice and humanity, to make a propofition, which has for its ultimate object, the restoration of property to the real proprietors, and giving peace and happiness to fome individuals who merit well of fociety. The illuftrious perfon to whom I allude, is the late Earl of Chatham, a name glorious in the annals of Great-Britain, and who has spoken of the hardy fons of the North in terms of the most expreffive panegyric.

am not," said he, " attached to one part of the country more than to another. I am above all local prejudices. 'It

is

"is a matter of indifference to me, whether a man was rocked "in his cradle on this or on the other fide of the Tweed. I fought for merit where I could find it, aad I found it in the "mountains of the North. Thofe hardy fons answered the <6 emergency of the times, and I have the honour to boast "of being the first who called their powers forth into action.

They were in a manner profcribed and forgotten, till I emancipated them from their bondage, and helped to wipe "away the odium which was illiberally fixed upon them. No "fooner had they taken the field in the fervice of their coun"try, than they turned the tide of war, and our manly ex*ertions were crowned with fuccefs. They fought our "battles, they bled freely in the fame cause, and gave the

enemy to understand, that British valour was not to be con

quered without a fuperior degree of perfonal courage and "bravery. Their fidelity could only be equalled by their in"trepidity, which has fignalized their own and their country's renown all over the world.”

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These were the fentiments of that great Minifter, who had fhaken the dominions of the French Monarch to the center. I confefs, I am as free from national prejudices as the muchefteemed Earl; and adopt the present proposition from motives of found policy. I am not attached to one part of the country more than to another, and would be happy to embrace an opportunity of fhewing my impartiality. The unfortunate perfons, whofe cafe I now fubmit to Parliament, have been deprived of their eftates for near forty years. I do not call to question the national expediency which has impelled the Legiflature to enact thofe laws that have operated fo rigidly against them; but if, by an alteration of the times, and an alteration of opinion, motives of humanity could be adopted, it would, I am convinced, be worthy of a British Parliament, to alleviate the diftreffes of their fellow-creatures, by reftoring to them thofe poffeffions which they once had a right to enjoy. Their past atonement demands it as an act of justice: their future conVOL. I. $ duct,

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duct, if we may judge from their paft fervices to the state, will make it an act of national wisdom. They have already fuffered fufficiently for the part they have taken in the late rebellion in 1745. They have been profcribed they have been forced into exile-they have frequently been reduced to the moft deplorable dilemma-in fhort, they have laboured under every fpecies of misfortune and affliction.Inftead of comfortably enjoying their own lands and poffeffions-instead of paffing their time in the sweet society of their wives and children-inftead of enjoying thofe bleffings which God had in a former period beftowed upon them, they are-excruciating thought!doomed to a variety of the most complicated disasters, and forced to feek that afylum and happiness in a foreign land, which are denied them at their native homes.

I am happy to think that my propofition has been frequently in the contemplation of feveral Adminiftrations. I have often mentioned it to the Noble Lord in the blue ribbon, when he was Minister of the country; and I can affure the Committee, that, to the honour of his Lordfhip be it faid, he has often entered into the fubject with the greatest warmth and tenderness and has on all thofe occafions acted as a man of honour, integrity, and univerfal philanthropy. In juftice to the late Adminiftration, it is proper to mention, that they intended to bring forward a propofition of a fimilar nature. But the different Administrations of this country have of late been fo Auctuating, that it has been impoffible. for them to prosecute

any fuch defign with effect. However, I can now congratulate the People on the occafion, when the prefent Ministry will have it in their power to alleviate the diftreffes of those unfortunate persons, by restoring to them their eftates and property.

The immortal Earl of Chatham was the firft man, after the late unfortunate rebellion, that called those men forth from obfcurity. He intended to have rewarded them in a fimilar manner, as appears from the encomiums which he bestowed on them fome years ago on a queftion relative to the Stamp-act,

when he had an opportunity of doing justice to the merit of the Highlanders, This defign, however, was fruftrated; but it gives me fingular felicity to think, that what was so happily begun, under the administration of that illuftrious perfonage, will be completed under that of his fon; for I am fully perfuaded, that none will object to a meafure which is pregnant with the most happy confequences,

Mr. Dundas, Aug. 2, 1784.

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