*

fome who have fince been careffed, and taken into the fervice of the prefent were well conceived fictions of the ministry of those days; he must appear, in the eyes of all difpaffionate men, to be a flanderer of the dead, to ferve the purposes of the living.

But we are told, "that Mr. Pitt, inftigated by the fuccefs of Walpole and the Pelhams, and poffeffed of no lefs ambition than "of means to gratify it in a popular government, had long fixed a plan in his own mind to become the head of an oligarchy, "that might govern at once independent of the prince and of the people." We may venture to maintain, that fuch a plan never entered into the head of Mr. Pitt, whofe elevation to power and continuance in it, folely depended on the opinion of the people. None but a madman would have advanced fo abfurd a position, especially after having lived to experience the falsehood of it.

66

In the next place, we are informed that towards the close of the late king's reign there were two factions fubfifting in powerthe Newcafle junto, who relied for fuccefs on the hold, which the treafury gave them, of parliament; and--the family faction, headed by Pitt, which depended upon the favour and clamours of the people, but while each of them looked forward to schemes to eftablish an unrivalled and permanent power, they committed one error which proved fatal to both. Their plans ultimately depended on a life of more than seventy; and they had fixed upon no refting-place for their engines, beyond an accident not uncommon at fuch an age. In the next page we find this error explained, they had taken no pains to gain over, by previous refpect and attention, the quarter from whence permanency in "office was to be expected on the demife of the late king." In fhort, they had not paid their court to the p-fs d――r and the of Be. The Pelham faction had rendered themselves obnoxious at L-r h-fe, by a courfe of injuries of many years, and Pitt by a recent defertion and breaking of promifes had forfeited every claim to future regard. It was refolved, therefore, to commence the reign with a new miniftry, but the great e- of Be did not think it adviseable at that time, and our author blames him on this occafion, for he thinks he carried it into execution, at a much more improper season.

A want of political courage proportionate to his acknowledged ambition, is the only fault which this writer lays to the charge of his admired patron; and we may judge from this, that if lord B- had carried every thing before him in a decifive, impetuous manner at all hazards, he would not have been blamed or deferted by his partifans, nor have flood in need of agents, who had more perfonal courage to carry his bold fchemes into execution. The prefent my having exceeded all their predeceffors, in daring, unconftitutional meafures, are therefore likely to continue in office, till fuch time as they have reduced the people to a ftate of indolence and inattention to public affairs, or have wearied them out, by perfevering in their defpotic fyitem, and then their master the e― of B- will venture once

more

more to take into his hands the reins of government, which this political timidity would not allow him to keep, at a season, when there was any degree of perfonal danger to be apprehended from his continuing at the head of administration. That the prefent adminiftration are purfuing the Machievelian plan of government, adopted by his lordship when in office, is allowed by this writer, who takes every opportunity to expatiate on the power of the crown, and if his opinion of the present ftate of thefe kingdoms fhould become univerfal, then lord B-e may promise himself a permanency in the highest office of the state, durable as his life. His reafoning upon this point deferves the more notice, as he conftantly makes ufe of it in all his pamphlets, letters, and effays.

"The increase of national wealth and confequence," according to him, "has given a more folid power to the crown than it formerly derived from the opinions and principles of indi"viduals. If the prefent age is too much enlightened to be "fwayed merely by attachment and reverence for the royal au"thority, it is too prudent and interested not to adhere to the "fountain, from which emolument fo largely flows. The "crown, in fhort, by the number of places of trust and profit "in its gift, has a much stronger hold of the obedience of the fubject, than in days when principle was the only inducement to loyalty. Firmnefs in the prince is all that is neceffary to "establish his authority, for where the wages are fo great, there never can be a want of fervants to carry on, with vigour, the "business of government."

66

In other words the prince in the prefent fituation of things, has no occafion to trouble himself about fecuring the affections of his fubjects: if he can exert the power which the crown has lodged in his hands fo effectually, by means of emoluments, as to attach to his fervice a certain number of fervants, he may carry all his measures, good or bad, without confulting the inclinations or intereft of the people; for the wages he pays will infure him fuccefs, whether he attempts innovations in the conftitution of the kingdom, or calls for extraordinary supplies of money to pay thefe very hirelings, who are to make his royal will and pleafure fuperfede the eftablished laws and cuftoms of the nation, and the inherent rights and privileges of the people. If men are actually fo interested in these times, that the crown can find it more advantageous to fecure the loyalty of the subject by corruption, than to fix it on the firm bafis of a righteous and equitable adminiftration, it is totally ufelefs to prefent petitions, and extremely abfurd to expect the redrefs of any national grievances, especially when thofe grievances arife from that very conduct of the c, which is to enlarge its authority, and enable the prince to reign independent of the opinions or principles of individuals. It is a great happinefs for thefe kingdoms that a doctrine fo unfavourable to freedom is avowed and maintained in the reign of a pious prince, from whom no fatal exceffes Vol. V. A a

of

of the regal authority are to be dreaded. Yet it is our duty to declare, that if this fubverfive maxim should hereafter grow into a precedent, the fubjects of Great Britain muft no longer boast of their national freedom, for they will be abject flaves under a defpotic monarchy; and though the prince may be well difpofed, yet they will feel their yoke grow heavier every day, from the ambition, avarice, rapacity, and infolence of his fervants, who will be always wanting to augment the wages of iniquity, by fleecing the people. In a word, it is a moft lamentable thing to live in a time, when the fervants of the British crown fet the people at defiance, and proudly declare that they depend for permanency in office, on the power they have in their hands to extend venality and corruption, by means of profitable places, penfions, or other emoluments. What one act for the benefit of the fubject, if it tends to limit the royal authority, or to check ministerial influence, can poffibly be expected from the parliament of a nation, where it is publicly maintained, that the wages given by the crown to fecure a majority in its intereft, are too great to be refifted? And while the caufe fubfifts, which way can the effect be prevented? Not by the diffolution of any one parliament; but the radical and orly remedy will be entirely to remove the firft caufe of this change in our domeftic politics: the only fervants which the crown can attach to itself, with a view of extending the regal authority beyond the bounds prescribed by the conftitution, are the reprefentatives of the people; unless, therefore, the electors refolve to make the acceptance of a place or penfion from the crown an abfolute difqualification to serve in parliament, it must be confeffed that the power of the crown will be fufficient to withstand all oppofition that can poffibly be made to the worst of measures, and to protect the most abandoned, tyrannic miniftry on earth.

The application our author makes of his favourite doctrine, in his account of the political conduct of the earl of Chatham, is, that no future patriot, while the power of the crown is fo great, will be able to force himself into the cabinet, or to rife to the zenith of power by the fame democratical means as Mr. Pitt. And in fupport of this argument he gives a concife hiftory of the dif ferent adminiftrations, fince the acceffion of his prefent majefty, from which it appears that the inclination or voice of the people has not once been confulted, either in the forming or difmiffing of the feveral miniftries that have governed during this period. And he fairly intimates that it would betray a want of firmness and refolution in the fn to fuffer any man to come into office, in confequence of popular favour or esteem. So that the hopes of all true patriots are now intirely blafted, for if the crown becomes fo jealous of its power, as to exclude all perfons from the high offices of the ftate, who by their virtue, integrity, and political abilities have acquired popularity, the confequence will be, that men will grow cool and inattentive to the interests of their country, and neglectful of thofe exalted characters, on whom,

perhaps,

perhaps, the falvation of this kingdom depends, the very end propofed by this pamphlet. For if patriots, the friends of the people, the zealous protectors of their rights and privileges, are never to be employed in the administration of public affairs; their utility in private ftations will be fo very limited and circumfcribed, that it will not be worth while to pay them that respect, and to make fuch powerful exertions in their favour, as has been customary, when there was a profpect of placing them at the head of the most important departments of government. In his account of the declenfion of the Grenville adminiftrati n, he throws out this remarkable hint. “My lords the bishops, the best judges of ministerial permanency in the kingdom, began to Smell a change of weather in the political fky, and they turned "their faces to that quarter, from which the gale of royal favour was likely foon to blow." What a defpicable idea does this writer, though a tool of the court, give of the right reverend fathers in God, who feem to be placed in the h—e of l—s with no other view but to give fo many votes to the m---r for the time being, if he is likely to continue in office, or to the party on whom they imagine the royal favour will be conferred, when they mell a change.

66

66

*

We are likewife let into a fecret, which we think the writer is very bold in divulging, which is, that the fentiments of the were against the repeal of the American itamp act, and, confequently, that the carrying that repeal occafioned the dif miffion of the Rockingham miniftry. At this period he accufes the earl of Chatham of coming into power again on a different plan from that he had formerly adopted; he makes it appear "that he had given up all attention to the favour of the people in 1766, and that he then ftudied how to govern them in that "fummary and decifive way, which fuited the vehemence of his temper and his pride. And with this view he paid a proper "attention to the inclinations of the * * **, and diffenfed with "an act of parliament by proclamation, a measure extremely flat66 tering to the crown, as it came from a man who had railed "himfelf to eminence by the favour of the people, and now took a ftep in extenfion of the royal prerogative, worthy of the genius and character of the friend of defpotifm, the earl of "Be. But though he had ceafed to court popularity, our "author tells us he could not ftand the odium of the people, who * had been accustomed to idolize him in office, and therefore being ridiculed without doors, and harraffed within; the gout, "his convenient friend in every political diftrefs, came opportunely to his aid, and he retired, if poffible, with a worfe grace than the earl of Bute, choofing rather to face the fevereit "inclemency of the feafon, than to remain in London, in the "mortifying abfence of all his former eclat and political repu"tation. He is charged alfo by this writer with having concealed a defign, under a compliment, in his late vifit to St. James's, which was no other than a fawning folicitation for

66

66

A a 2

2

"" court.

"place, which he had neither the firmness nor ability to retain "with honour to himself, nor benefit to the nation. Unfortu"nately, however, for the family faction, the Grenvilles, the hints " and innuendos of the earl of Chatham were not understood at The fervants of the crown were too well established in "the confidence of the f- -n to be fhaken by the appearance "of a man, who has added the folly of age to his natural verfa"tility and inconftancy. The fhort trial of his abilities in 1766, "demonftrated, that however fit he might have been to move "with rapidity the wheels of government in ime of war, he was extremely improper to guide the machine with the more equal "motion, that beft fuits the days of peace. He dived again into "obfcurity, and has ended with little luftre a political life, that "was fplendid, if not worthy of fome renown

From the whole it is evident, that from the moment Mr. Pitt had the folly to quit the houfe of commons, and to fink himself into earl of Chatnam, he loft his i fluence with both prince and people, and became the dupe of Bute's party, who now treat him with the contempt he has fo juftly deferved. But let Mr. Richard W-n reflect, that if he had continued the plain, fpirited, honeft William Pitt, and had ftrenuously oppofed, inftead of coming into terms with lord Bute, all the boafted power of the crown, which is now declared "fufficient to refift the dictatorial infolence of popular clamour," would not have been fufficient to have prevented his forcing his way to the cabinet, and procuring the removal of the grievances of the people. A recapitulation or fummary review of the political characters of the heads of the feveral administrations already mentioned, follows after this account of the political exit of lord Chatham, and the pamphlet concludes with promifing permanency in office, to the duke of Grafton, from his great abilities, and the want of influence with the people, or weight with the fn, among the active heads of faction or oppofition. But ftill, as lord Bute only retired through timidity, and is otherwise defcrited as a very great minifter, who carried on the war against Spain with greater eclat than Mr. Pitt managed that with France, and concluded a most honourable and advantageous peace, and as one who was courted, careffed, and taken into a coalition with every adminiftration-If his lordship fhould pluck up a fpirit, and deSpifing feeble clamour without doors, refume the feals, there can be no doubt but Grafton will retire on proper terms. And the mirrour of Scotland will guide the machine of ftate with that equal motion, that beft fuits the days of peace.

a

Continuation of the Swiss, a new Political Paper.

T is with great reluctance we find ourselves under the neceffity to remark, that this promifing performance, which bad fo fair for the approbation of the public at the firft fetting out, is not carried on with that fpirit, nor furnished with that variety of important matter, which might be expected from a Swils

writer,