Mr. Fox, in reply to Lord North, said: That my private resentments have not influenced my public conduct, will be readily believed, when I assert that I might long since have justly charged the noble lord, with the most unexampled treachery and falsehood. Here Mr. Fox was called to order, and the House grew clamorous. He sat down twice or thrice, and on rising each time, repeated the same words; but at length, assuring the House he would abstain from every thing personal, he was permitted to proceed. He then repeated his former charges of negligence, incapacity, and inconsistency; and added, that though he at one time approved of part of the noble lord's conduct, he never approved of the whole. He charged all the present disputes with America, to his negligence and incapacity, and instanced his inconsistency in the case of the Middlesex election. It was true, he said, the noble lord had often confessed his incapacity, and from a consciousness of it, pretended a willingness to resign; but the event had proved that whatever his consciousness might have, been, his love of the emoluments of office had completely conquered it.

The House divided on the motion for the discharge of the order: Yeas 89: Noes 250.

ADDRESS TO THE KING UPON THE DISTURBANCES IN NORTH AMERICA.

TH

February 2.

HE House being in the Committee appointed to take into consideration the papers relating to the Disturbances in North America, Lord North moved, "That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, to return His Majesty our most humble thanks, for having been graciously pleased to communicate to this House, the several papers relating to the present state of the British colonies in America, which, by His Majesty's commands, have been laid before this House, and from which, after taking them into our most serious consideration, we find, that a part of His Majesty's subjects in the province of the Massachuset's Bay have proceeded so far to resist the authority of the supreme legislature, that a rebellion at this time actually exists within the said province; and we see with the utmost concern, that they have been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combinations and engage ments, entered into by His Majesty's subjects, in several of the other colonies, to the injury and oppression of many of their

VOL. L

innocent fellow subjects resident within the kingdom of Great Britain and the rest of His Majesty's dominions; this conduct on their part appears to us the more inexcusable, when we consider with how much temper His Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament have acted, in support of the laws and constitution of Great Britain; to declare that we can never so far desert the trust reposed in us, as to relinquish any part of the sovereign authority over all His Majesty's dominions, which by law is vested in His Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament; and that the conduct of many persons, in several of the colonies, during the late disturbances, is alone sufficient to convince us how necessary this power is, for the protection of the lives and fortunes of all His Majesty's subjects; that we ever have been, and always shall be, ready to pay attention and regard to any real grievances of any of His Majesty's subjects, which shall in a dutiful and constitutional manner be laid before us; and whenever any of the colonies shall make a proper application to us, we shall be ready to afford them every just and reasonable indulgence; but that, at the same time, we consider it as our indispensable duty, humbly to beseech His Majesty, that His Majesty will take the most effectual measures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature; and that we beg leave, in the most solemn manner, to assure His Majesty, that it is our fixed resolution, at the hazard of our lives and properties, to stand by His Majesty, against all rebellious attempts, in the maintenance of the just rights of His Majesty and the two Houses of parliament." This motion occasioned a spirited debate. It was supported by the Attorney and Solicitor General, and opposed by Mr. Dunning, Mr. Grenville, Mr. Cruger, Captain Luttrell, Mr. Burke, and Mr. Fox,

Mr. Fox, who upon this occasion is stated to have spoken better than usual, entered fully into the question. He pointed out the injustice, the inexpediency, and folly of the motion; prophesied defeat on one side the water, and ruin and punishment on the other. He moved an amendment to omit all the motion, but the three or four first lines, and to substitute the following words: "But deploring that the information which the papers have afforded, serves only to convince this House that the measures taken by His Majesty's servants tend rather to widen than to heal the unhappy differences, which have so long subsisted between Great Britain and America, and praying a speedy alteration of the

same.

* Mr. Gibbon, in a letter to Mr. Holroyd, dated February 8. 1775. says, "I am not damned, according to your charitable wishes, because I have not acted; there was such an inundation of speeches, young speeches in every sense of the word, both on Thursday in the Grand Committee, and Monday on the Report to the House, that neither Lord George Germain

The Committee divided upon Mr. Fox's amendment: Ayes 105:

Noes 304

AUGMENTATION OF THE FORCES.

February 13.

N the 10th of February, a Message was presented from His Majesty, stating that "His Majesty being determined, in conquence of the Address of both Houses of Parliament, to take the most speedy and effectual measures for supporting the just Rights of his Crown, and the two Houses of Parliament, thinks proper to acquaint this House, that some addition to his Forces by sea and land will be necessary for that purpose: and His Majesty doubts not but he shall have the concurrence and support of this House (on whose zeal and affection he entirely relies), in making such augmentation to his Forces as the present occasion shall be thought to require." In consequence of this Message, Mr. Buller moved, on the 13th, "That an additional number of 2000 men be allowed for sea service for the year 1775." In the course of the debate arising out of this motion,

Mr. Fox contended strongly, that taking the affairs of America on the very footing upon which ministers had thrown them, their conduct betrayed nothing but incapacity; that the gentlemen on the treasury-bench were repeatedly telling the House of the rebellion of the Americans, and how strongly they were persuaded that they meant to throw off all de pendance on this country. How then, said he, are we to account for that slothful, dilatory conduct of administration, in sitting quiet for so many months, and seeming in their management to have no idea that force could ever be used or would ever be necessary? If administration were really persuaded of the views and intentions of the Americans, if rebellion was written among them in such legible characters, why did they not take the earliest opportunity of preventing those intentions and of stifling that rebellion? Had they conducted themselves upon the principles of common sense they certainly would have been earlier in their intelligence to

nor myself could find room for a single word. The principal men both days were Fox and Wedderburne, on the opposite sides; the latter displayed his usual talents; the former, taking the vast compass of the question before us, discovered powers for regular debate, which neither his friends hoped, nor his enemies dreaded." Miscellaneous Works, vol. 1. p. 489.

Parliament, earlier in their application, and more vigorous in their measures. But this, he said, was under the supposition that they knew the rectitude of their intentions, and approved of their own conduct. He then' deviated into a personal attack on Lord North, but was uncommonly spirited throughout.

LORD NORTH'S PROPOSITION FOR CONCILIATION WITH AMERICA.

February 20.

WHILE the Bill for restraining the Commerce of the New

England Colonies, and prohibiting their Fishery on the Banks of Newfoundland, was yet depending, and while nothing but defiance was hurled at America on the part of Government, Lord North, to the surprize of Opposition and of many of the adherents of Ministers, brought forward his famous proposition for conciliating the differences with America. Adverting to the terms of the recent Address to the King upon the Disturbances in North Ame rica, he observed, although Parliament could never relinquish the right of taxation, yet if the Americans would propose means of contributing their share to the common defence, the exercise of the right might without hesitation be suspended, and the privilege of raising their own portion of contribution conceded to the colonists. This being the sense, and, he believed, the very words in which he moved the Address, he proposed as a Resolution: "That it is the opinion of this Committee, that when the Governor, Council, and Assembly, or General Court, of any of His Majesty's provinces or colonies in America, shall propose to make provision, according to the condition, circumstances, and situation, of such province or colony, for contributing their proportion to the common defence (such proportion to be raised under the authority of the General Court, or General Assembly, of such province or colony, and disposable by Parliament) and shall engage to make provision also for the support of the civil government, and the administration of justice, in such province or colony, it will be proper, if such proposal shall be approved by His Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament, and for so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in respect of such province or colony, to levy any duty, tax, or assessment, or to impose any farther duty, tax, or assessment, except only such duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy or to impose for the regulation of commerce; the nett produce of the duties last mentioned to be carried to the account of such province or

*

colony respectively." This proposition gave rise to a long debate; in the course of which,

I congratulate my friends, and I congratulate the public, upon the motion which the noble lord has now produced. He, who has been hitherto all violence and war, is now treading back his steps to peace. I congratulate my friends and the public on those measures which have produced this effect. It is now seen what the effects are which a firm and a spirited opposition will produce; it is the opposition which has been made in this House, although ineffectual to oppose the measures of ministers, whilst they were pleased to be violent, yet has had that effect, that they now find it their interest and their safety to be otherwise. The noble lord has receded from his proposition of violence-has begun (I mean if he is sincere) to listen to reason; and, if the same spirit of opposition continues to resist violence, and to support the liberties and rights of the colonies, he will grow every day more and more reasonable. He has quoted, as an authority, the conduct of nations towards each other; that, in the outset of their demands, they claim more than they are willing to accept; the noble lord has done the same, and, I dare say, will on a future day be as ready to recede from what he has now proposed, as he has now been humble enough to give up what he before so strenuously defended. I say this upon the supposition that the noble lord is sincere; but I cannot believe it. Besides the opposition which the noble lord found obstructing his way, he felt, that even his friends and allies began to grow slack towards the vigour of his measures; he was therefore, forced to look out for some propositions that might still induce them to go on with him, and that might, if possible, persuade the Americans to trust their rights to his candour and justice. What he has now proposed to you, does accordingly carry two faces on its very first appearance. To the Americans, and to those who are unwilling to proceed in the extremes of violence against them, he holds out negociation and reconciliation. To those who have engaged with him on condition that he will support the supremacy of this country unimpaired, the proposition holds out a persuasion that he never will relax on that point: but, Sir, his friends see that he is relaxing, and the Committee sees that they are all ready to withdraw from under his standard. No one in this country, who is sincerely for peace, will trust the speciousness of his expressions, and the Americans will reject them with disdain.