However, Sir, as it has been granted on all hands, that nothing contained in our Addrefs can prevent the future inquiries of this Houfe, or can be a bar to our cenfuring what we shall, upon inquiry, find to be amifs, therefore I fhall propofe no Amendment to the former part of the Motion: but I must take notice of one thing which is apparent, without any inquiry, to every man in this House, to every man who knows any thing of public affairs, and that is, the great charge this nation has already been put to on account of the war, while the other powers of Europe, not yet engaged in the war, have not put themselves to one fhilling expence: nay, even our allies, the Dutch, who, as his Majefty has been pleased to tell us, are under the fame engagements with us, have not put themselves to the leaft charge on account of the prefent war. Now, Sir, as his Majefty has told us, that we had no concern with the causes or motives of the war, we cannot, therefore, be involved in it, unless it be for the preservation of the balance of power and as all our allies are as much interested in this refpect as we are, it is reasonable they fhould bear their proportionable fhare of the expence: and as they have yet done. nothing like it, I think it is become neceflary for us to take fome notice of this matter in our Address to his Majesty; for which reason, I fhall move this Amendment to the latter part of the Address, viz. "That this Houfe will cheerfully and "effectually raise fuch fupplies, as fhall be neceffary for the "honour and fecurity of his Majefty and his kingdoms; and "in proportion to the expences to be incurred by the other powers. "who were under the fame engagements with this nation, and 66 not then involved in the war: and whatever fhall be the fuccefs "of his Majesty's gracious endeavours to procure the bleffings "of peace and general tranquillity, will enable his Majesty to "act that part, which honour and juftice, and the true intereft. "of his people fhall call upon him to undertake."

Mr. William Pulteney, Jan. 27, 1735.

IT

It has always been the custom of this House, at the beginning of every Seffion of Parliament, to return his Majesty our Thanks for his Speech from the Throne; but the fevere ftroke, which not only his Majefty and the Royal Family, but all the nation have received fince our laft meeting, in the death of the Queen, requires, that on this occafion our Thanks to his Majefty, for his moft gracious affurances, should be attended with our condolence for his inexpreffible lofs. A lofs, Sir, which, I flatter myself, I read in the eyes of every Gentleman who hears me, and which must be regretted by every fubject in the kingdom, who retains in his breast one spark of loyalty and gratitude.

Gentlemen cannot mifs to cbferve, that if his Majefty has expreffed himself with more brevity than ufual, it is owing to the remembrance of a Princess *, who endeared herself in every relation of life, either as a confort, a mother, or a Queen. And though her death, Sir, is an afflicting difpenfation to all the nation, yet we cannot suppose, that any of us can feel it fo deeply as the royal breaft; which, while fhe was alive, she so much eafed of the toils of government by her counfels, which never had any other tendency than to promote his honour, by promoting the happiness of the people. Of this, Sir, we had many late inftances, especially when the fovereign power, in the abfence of her royal confort, was delegated into her hands. On that occafion, Sir, we may all remember with what moderation fhe governed, with what cheerfulness fhe rewarded, and with what reluctance the punished; though the prudence of her measures rendered the exercise of this laft and most ungrateful branch of the royal prerogative but seldom neceffary. Therefore, Sir, however fome amongst us may differ in particular views and interests, I hope we fhall unite in paying a debt of gratitude to the memory of the best of Princeffes, as well as of duty to the best of Kings.

Henry Fox, Efq; Jan. 24, 1738.

*The confort of George the Second.

As

As fpeeches from the Throne have been taken for the fenfe of the Ministry, too lavish Addreffes from this Houfe have been regarded rather as incenfe to the Minifter, than a just acknowledgment to the Sovereign. But, Sir, I hope we fhall always look upon ourselves as the trustees of the people, and endeavour to fpeak their fenfe in our Addreffes, as well as act for their interefts in our proceedings. Though the expreffion, Sir, propofed to be inferted in this Addrefs, that we will carefully avoid all beats and animofities, is, to be fure, a very proper part of a Refolution of this nature, and what I am perfuaded every Gentleman will willingly agree to; yet there have been instances, Sir, when from as well-guarded expreffions Minifters have taken occafion to attempt the fubverfion of that liberty of debate, and freedom of speech, which ought to distinguish the Reprefentatives of a free people. Amongst fuch a people, Sir, an oppofition always muft, and, perhaps, it is their happiness that it does exist, And, Sir, though it is to be wifhed that heats and animofities were banished from all oppofition, yet, I am afraid, while men have different paffions, different interefts, and different views, this can fcarcely be effected.

The granting neceffary supplies for the current year, Sir, is what feems very reasonable and indifpenfible in a House of Commons: but, Sir, I believe there are inftances when, in former reigns, the Commons have refused to grant a fhilling for the fervices of the current year, till they were fure the money granted for the fervices of the preceding had been properly applied. Befides, Sir, the true old parliamentary method of proceeding, was not immediately to grant a Vote of Addrefs for every thing the Minister had done during the intermediate time, right or wrong, but to appoint a day for examining the grievances of the nation; and redrefs of thefe, was always infifted on before any fupplies were granted.

No Houfe of Commons ever had greater reafon than we have to be frugal of the public money, and to inquire in what manner it has been applied. We have already granted to his

Majefty

Majefty fums fufficient to have enabled his Majefty to have put the nation in such a situation, that fhe might have nothing to fear from any enemies, either at home or abroad; and, confequently, to have diminished the taxes, and eafed the people of some part of the unfupportable load of debt they now lie under, If, upon inquiry, it fhall appear that they have acted in this manner; if it fhall appear that the people have fo much as a profpect of relief from their prefent preffures, I fhall think the fums we have already granted, not only well beftowed, but shall concur in any Motion that may be made, for our granting the like in time to come; but, Sir, notwithstanding the fums we have already granted, if the public debt, instead of being diminished, is daily increafing; if it fhall appear that any part of it has been applied in promoting the arts of corruption and betraying the nation, I think it is our duty to put a stop to any fuch grants in future. In the mean time, Sir, I am as forward as any Gentleman here, that we fhould condole on the irreparable lofs of our late Queen; and that we teftify our refolution of lofing no opportunity of fhowing our zeal for the fupport of his government, and the prefervation of our excellent conftitution; nay, of our going the greatest lengths in fecuring the Crown to his Majesty's perfon and family. But, Sir, give me leave to fay, that the readieft way to make these engagements good, is by reserving to ourselves a right for inquiry into any application that may have been made of the public money and credit; and, by determining, let the world fee, that we are refolved to do as much as lies in our power for making his Majesty the Sovereign of a great, a happy, and an uncorrupted people.

Watkin Williams-Wynne, Jan. 24, 1738.

I KNOW, my Lords, it has been of late years a cuftom, to make the Addrefs of this House a fort of echo to his Majesty's Speech from the Throne; and as echoes never fail to repeat the laft words of a fentence, fo, it feems, we muft never fail echoing

back

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back the laft paragraph of his Majefty's Speech. This, I say, has been a custom of this House for fome years paft; but I cannot think, that a religious obfervance of this cuftom is either confiftent with the character we ought to preferve, or neceffary for our fhewing our refpect to our Sovereign.

Earl of Chesterfield, Oct. 23, 1739.

My Lords, I have a Motion to make to your Lordships, which, as a friend to our prefent happy establishment, as a friend to his moft gracious Majesty now upon the Throne, as a friend to my country, and as a Member of this Houfe, I think I am in duty bound to make; but as it is a Motion of an extraordinary, though not an unprecedented nature, I must first beg leave to fhow you my reafons for making it; and I hope to fhow fuch reafons, as will induce every Lord of this Houfe to think, that it is now abfolutely neceffary to comply with it.

My Lords, it is the duty of Parliament, and especially of this House, to give our Sovereign the most fincere advice, not only when it is afked, but often when it is not defired by the Crown. As Members of this House, we are in duty bound to have a watchful eye over the public measures his Majefty is advised to pursue, and over the chief Minifters he is pleafed to employ in the adminiftration of public affairs; and when we are of opinion, that the measures he is advised to pursue are wrong, or that the Minifters he is pleafed to employ are weak or wicked, it is our duty and our business, while we fit here, to warn our Sovereign of his danger, and to remove weak or wicked Counsellors from about his Throne. As to the parliamentary methods of removing a Minister, I need not acquaint your Lordships that they are of feveral kinds, and that all but one tend to punish as well as remove. When we proceed by impeachment, by bill of attainder, or bill of pains and penalties, the defign is to punish as well as remove: but there is another way of proceeding in parliament, which tends only to remove the Minifter from the King's Councils, without inflicting any

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