1769. 121 The HISTORY of PARTY during the PRESENT REIGN. Continued from p. 72. HAVING, in our hit number, publified a libel against the govern difcontinued the narrative part of this hiltory, where we mentioned the difmiffion, or as it was politely ftiFed the refignatin, of Mr. G. G. on acCount of his proving less tractable in the trammels of power than the faharité expected; we must now prepare to give fome reafons for the Hife popularity of his character, mer a display of independency which might be naturally expected to raise Him very bigh in the eftimation of the kingdom. To account for the general diflike ftill entertained against this gentleman, the reader must be made acquainted with more than a fingle caufe.In the first place, those who at any time attached themfelves to Lot B after Mr. Pitt's retreat from butinels, rendered themselves fo difagreeable, that the people rejoiced whenever they faw them facrificed to the difpleasure of that nobleman, and confidered their lofs of office, as a very proper mortification for their having abandoned the caufe of the king dom.-But beflies this, Mr., G. G. though he affected to proceed upon a fyltem of his own, nevertheless procreded upon a fyftem which was to the full as offenfive to every fenfible mind, as the most indefenfible in: farides of Lord B- -'s immediate adminiftration, and poffibly in fome cafes even more injurious to the king dom. To deal however in proofs, and not in affertions, it will be proper to recapitulate fome of the principal circumfances during Mr. G.'s continuance at the helm of government. We have already mentioned, that among a number of writers who took up the pen ait Lord B- and his adherents the North-Briton, who was univerfally fuppofed to be Mr. Wilkes, the memBer for Aylesbury, gave great uneafnefs to the miniftry, and at last grew intolerable, that a general warrant, from the earls of Halifax and Egre. mont, the fecretaries of itate, was iffued to apprehend Mr. Wilkes, in confequence of which he was committed to the Tower, and' feveral of his papers were seized, to be made ufe of in evidence of his having March, 1769. ment.-This general warrant for the apprehenfion of his perfon, and the feizure of his papers, even if Mr. Wilkes was actually guilty of every crime with which he was charged, was abfolutely illegal, and the nation exclaimed at their rulers, who, to punifh others for violating the laws, committed an evident, violation of the laws themselves.-Had the ministry, however, only dued the warrant, the precedents of former adminiftrations, and the example of Mr. Phimfelf, might have given them fome reasonable arguments in extenuation of their conduct, though nothing could have been urged as a fufficient excufe.-But their error did not lie fo much in an unconscious illegality, as in defending it, when they were actually convinced of the fault. Mr. Wilkes, notwithstanding the indignation of government, foon ob tained his difcharge, on account of his parliamentary privilege, and commenced proper actions to recover damages for faife imprisonment, while feveral of his friends exerted themfelves in the Houle of Commons to ob tain a vote, declaring general warrants utterly illegal. Here the administration had an opportunity of proving the rectitude of their intentions at least, and of fhewing that their end was jult, however they had been mistaken in the means.-Yet instead of affifting in alcertaining the right of ifing these warrants ex officio (if they thought there was an official right) in the courts of law, they made ule of every artifice to defeat an enquiry into their legality, and chofe rather to expofe their fellow fubjects to the danger of being un-. justly committed to prifon, than to be convicted of an error themselves.--The warrants certainly were either lawful or they were not. If lawful,' it was their duty to fupport the conititutional authority of government.--If other wife, it was their business to acknowledge themfelves in the wrong, and not to leave their unoffend ng countrymen at the mercy of arbitrary minifters. Did they entertain any doubts about the legality of the proceeding against Mr. Wilkes, it was for for the intereft of the nation to clear up thofe doubts by a judicial determi nation. But this they avoided with indefatigable induftry, and what aggravated their conduct on this occafion, fome gentlemen, who held em ployments under the crown, and yet in the Houfe of Commons expreffed their difapprobation of general warrants, fell victims to ministerial vengeance, and were turned out of place. March with this went another act for obliging the colonies to provide quartets for foldiers---Inftantly followed another law for levying, throughout all America, new port duties upon a vast variety of commodities, and fome of which lay heavy upon objects neceffary for the trade and fishery---Immediately upon the heels of these, and amidit the uneafinets and confufion produced by a crowd of new impofitions and regulations, fome good, fome evil, fome doubtful, all crude and ill confidered, came another act, for impofing an univerfal ftamp duty on the colonies; and this was declared to be little more than an experiment, and a foundation of future revenue, To render thefe proceedings more irritating to the colonies, the principal argument used in favour of their ability to pay fuch duties, was the liberality of the grants of their affemblies during the late war; never could any argument be more infulting and mortifying to a people habituated to the granting of their own money." A celebrated writer, fpeaking of this period, expreffès himself in the following manner: "Whilft all things were managed at home with fuch a fpirit of diforderly defpotifm; abroad there was a proportional abatement of fpirit. Some of our most juft and valuable claims were in a manner abandoned with regard to our domeftic affairs there was no want of induftry; but there was a great deficiency of temper and judgment, and manly comprehenfion of the public intereft. The nation certainly wanted relief, and government attempted to adminifter it. Two ways were principally chofen for this great purpose.--. The first by regulation; the fecond by new funds a of revenue.--Agreeably to this plan, a new naval establishment was formed at a good deal of expence, and to little effect, to aid in the collection of the cuftoms. Regulation was added to regulation, and the ftrictest orders were given for a prevention of all contraband trade here, and in America. The greatest part of thefe regulations were made for America; and they fell fo indifcriminately on all forts of contraband, or fuppofed contraband, that fome of the most valuable branches of trade were driven violently from our ports; which caufed an univerfal consternation throughout the colonies. Every part of the trade was infinitely diftreffed by them. Men of war now for the first time, armed with the regular commiffion of custom houfe officers, inveiled the coafts, and gave to the collection of revenue the air of hoftile contribution. About the fame time that thefe regulations feemed to threaten the deftruction of the only trade from whence the plantations derived any fpecie, an act was made putting a stop to the future emiffion of paper currency, which ofed to fupply its place among them. Hand in hand "Taxes for the purpose of railing revenue had hitherto been fparingly attempted in America--Without ever doubting the extent of its lawful power, parliament always doubted the propriety of fuch impofitions. And the Americans never thought of contefting a right by, which they were little affected.Their affemblies in the main anfwered all the purposes neceffary to the internal economy of a free people, and provided for all the exigencies of government which arofe amongit themselves. In the midst of all that happy enjoyment, they never thought of critically fettling the exact limits of a power which was neceflary to their union, their fafety, their equa ty, and even their liberty. Thus the two very difficult points, fuperiority in the prefiding ftate, and freedom in the fubordinate, were on the whole fufficiently, that is, practically reconciled, without agitating those vexatious queftions, which in truth be ing rather metaphyfics, than politics, can never be moved without thaking the foundation of the belt go. vernments that have ever been conftituted by human wisdom. By this measure was let loose that dangerous fpirit of difquifition, not in the coolnets of philofophical enquiry, but in flam.d flamed with all the paffions of an haughty and refentful people, who thought themfelves deeply injured, and that they were contending for every thing that was valuable !" From this curfory view of Mr. G.'s administration it cannot be fuppofed, notwithstanding the difference with Lord B. that he could be poffef fed of any extraordinary popularity; yet though he was thus conceived to be as obnoxious to the favourite, as difagreeable to a great majority of the people, his removal from office threw the court into no little confufion.--Lord B. himself did not chule to appear again in the management of public affairs, and the people of moft weight and ability to direct them, did not chule to accept of employments in which they expected to continue no longer than while they acted in conformity to that nobleman's inclination. In short, the various departments of the adminiftration were fupposed to be held by so precarious a tenure, that it was with the utmost difficulty a new arrangement was made, and even this arrangement could not be effected till fome of the premiers were actually paid for flooping to fill up the moft iucrative places, and had penfions allowed them in cafe of any future difmiffion from government. The adminiftration now formed, was faid to be formed under the auspices of his royal highnefs the late duke of Cumberland; and Mr. P. who was courted very much, and railed to the earldom of C. did himself a material injury at this time in the opinion of the whole nation, and it was generally concluded that Lord B. had made a facrifice to his ambition, merely to leffen him in the eyes of the people. The conduct of Lord Bath, who parted with all his patriotifm for a title. was every where revived, the feverest comparisons were continually made between them, and the prefs warmed with publications, lamenting either the fall of Mr. P. or ceniuring his con nexion with Lord B. in a train of the utmost invective. Thefe publications were confiderably augmented, and the public indignation was induftrioufly increased by Lord T. and his friends, for whom Mr. P. had made no provifion in the pew miniftry, and who were therefore 123 the loudest to exclaim against their former idol. Lord T. as he had refigned with Mr. P. and had all along fupported his measures, thought himfelf exceedingly ill-treated, because he was not allowed an equal fhare in the nomination of minifters, the quarrel between these two great perfonages quickly put an end to the famous allociation of patriots who conftituted the Minority, and the oppreffions, under which their poor country groaned, were no longer remembered, but the oppreffions under which they themfelves groaned, who were not advanced to fome profitable place. An oppofition was therefore immediately formed against the new administration; the malcontents of the various factions united in one band, which was headed by Lord T. and every measure which he difapproved was to be defeated, if poffible--not because the meafure was injurious to the national welfare, but because he was at enmity with Mr. P. Here there is no poffibility of fup. preffing the indignation of an honest mind, at the infamous quarrels which the ambition of power, and the love of money, fo frequently give birth to in this unfortunate kingdom.--- Two factions contend for the direction of public affairs, and one is fuccefsful.---The other upon this inftantly refolves, right or wrong, to disturb the adminiftration of their more fortunate antagonitts, and endeavour to counteract the best measures, because these measures are propofed by their enemies. Thus the private animofity of individuals is to be revenged upon the kingdom; and the interest of a whole people is to be prejudiced, becaufe Lord T. and Mr. P. have had a despicable difpute. Lord T. neither broke with Mr. P. on account of any difference in principle, or any doubt of Mr. P.`s capacity--but entirely on account of M. P.'s having filled up the various offices of the administration. The first feat of the Treatury was reserved for Lord T. himself, and he was to have the nomination of the whole board. This, however, would not do, he muft have the nomination of half the miniftry; and not being indulged in this claim, the patristic nobleman not only declined to affitt his country in this hour of exigence, but prepared |